Beyond the Infinity
by Starwin
Summary: COMPLETED-Tragedy has struck the Guardians! Cornelia has turned against her friends! Hay Lin has been captured! And Will... is dead! Now, only Taranee stands against the terrible evil consuming the universe. Cataclysm is coming, can our heroines survive?
1. E1 P1: Hidden in the Shadow of the

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

**Advanced Authors Notes:**

**Hello everyone! Welcome to the third (and final) installment of this "trilogy." If you read that last line and thought, trilogy! Oh crap! Should I have read the other two parts first? I say to you, yes… yes you should have… Go, read them, I'll wait for you. Seriously, go…**

**Alright, all caught up? Good. :D**

**While you can push forward without reading the other parts, I'm going to be honest with you, it will be difficult. There is a lot (seriously, a lot) that has happened and while it's possible to sit back and just enjoy the story without back story, it will be challenging.**

**So, with that in mind, I have included a "Story so far" post on my message boards, feel free to catch up or, if you already read the previous stories but have forgotten (since it has been a while), review—before moving on.**

**But I highly recommend reading the story(s) over cheating off my notes.**

**Anyhow… Enjoy.**

* * *

Episode 1: Haven

* * *

Part 1: Hidden in the Shadow of the Sky

* * *

Spinning slowly, far below, the bright green and blue gem known as Earth floated weightless in the infinite expanse of space. Great masses of white clouds drifted slowly across the planet's surface. As the world spun, the light of the distant sun receded across the face of the planet, leaving a wake of night, broken only by the glittering lights of cities.

On the edge of the coming night, in the twilight, was a mass of clouds that were not white but dark gray, almost black, as if the coming night had seeped into them. These shadow clouds swirled in a solemn spiral. The other clouds avoided the dark mass, as if they feared coming in contact would turn them gray too.

Without warning, a fork of lightning erupted from the swirling clouds. The blue-white energy raced through the atmosphere, out into space and on into the infinity. Then all was silent once again and the swirling clouds continued to spin, but faster now. A second crack of lightning, but this one stayed within the clouds.

Slowly the gray swirling clouds started to expand, larger and larger, faster and faster. The edge of the storm ripped into the white clouds, tearing and devouring them. The storm tumbled across the sky spreading in all directions. Much too quickly the terrible storm had grown large enough to cover the entire continent below it. But it did not halt. The storm poured over the world and in minutes, the entire Earth was consumed in a gray blanket of shadows.

* * *

Hay Lin was running. She wasn't sure why she was running. She wasn't sure when she had started running. But she knew she had to run. She had to run as fast as she could.

The blurry world bounced around the edges of her eyes. Slowly things began creeping into her vision. It was dark, dark like nighttime. Why was she running at night? She didn't stop running.

It was raining, cold freezing rain that bit at her skin. Why was she running in the rain? She didn't stop running.

She was in Heatherfield Park, there was slushy mud beneath her bare feet. When had she come to Heatherfield Park? Where were her shoes? She didn't stop running.

She was naked! Hay Lin stopped running. She wrapped her arm around her unclothed form. Why was she naked?

Everything around her seemed unreal, oddly distant and intangible. Air forced its way in and out of her burning lungs as she stood in the darkness panting. Her legs and arms felt strange, though from what she could see they looked no different.

The moment of pause began to slip away as her thoughts focused on one desire, one need greater than anything else — she had to run. That was the thought that kept repeating in her head, an overpowering urge to keep running. Hay Lin watched while instinct and reason battled in her brain.

Closing her eyes tight, Hay Lin shook her head trying to push out all the noise, all the things that didn't make sense. Her friend, Cornelia had attacked her, had turned her into a monster. Cornelia had made Hay Lin hurt her friends, had made her hurt Will…

Violently, Hay Lin shook her head. She didn't want to remember that. She didn't want to see what had Cornelia had done. What she had helped her do.

Yet there it was, no matter how her thoughts tried to run from it, the memory was pushed to the forefront of her mind. Inescapedable and haunting, the image of Will impaled on spikes of earth. She had watched her friend die. She had stood there and done nothing while she watched Will…

The thought was too much. Hay Lin ran with tears burning down her face. She ran from the horrors behind her. She ran from the insane person she had once called friend. She ran from the world, trying to escape to some place beyond it, where even her thoughts wouldn't pain her so. She ran… out into the street.

Not even looking, the only warning Hay Lin had was the blinding headlights of the car. There was no horn, or screech of tires. As Hay Lin brought her hand up to shield her eyes she finally understood the meaning of a "deer caught in headlights."

Fear and terror froze her in place, as though her muscles were just as scared as she was. Time slowed to a lumbering stop. Hay Lin couldn't tell if reality had really paused or if it only seemed that way to her. The car continued to crawl towards her, only feet away.

Arcs of water sprayed from its tires as they slid soundlessly across the rain soaked street. Hay Lin could see every rain drop more clearly than she had ever seen anything else in her life.

She looked through the curtain of rain and her eyes found the front bumper of the blue car that would collide with her. She saw past the headlights, past windshield and to the bald man, in the white robes, who sat calmly behind the wheel. He was much too calm for anyone—who was about to run another person down—should have been.

There eyes met for only a fraction of a fraction of a second and then the car slammed into her. Up became down, pain erupted everywhere, more intense pain than Hay Lin had ever felt. Metal and glass impacted her fragile body, breaking her and cutting her. And then she was thrown off the car as it sped on.

She tumbled painlessly through gentle air before crashing down hard onto the street. Terrible pain exploded inside her. It was beyond pain, beyond comprehension. Her brain had no word for pain like this. No thought that could describe the agony the wracked her form.

Red darkness crept in at the edges of her eyes as she struggled to draw breath. The last thing she saw as a pair of feet walking towards her. Not the driver, but someone else, someone worse, worse than the pain. And then it was all gone, save for the darkness.

* * *

It was the incessant beeping that woke Hay Lin. Her whole body shook at the noise of the alarm and her eyes snapped open in a panic. There was cold sweat on her body and even though she was under many warm blankets she shivered as if she were out in the cold rain. The beeping continued.

The young Asian girl's eyes scanned the uneven darkness of the unfamiliar room, trying to put a name to the place. Where was she? What was this place? The panic from her sleep was still pounding in her chest. And the beeping continued.

At last Hay Lin found the funny, frog shaped, clock next to the bed, her bed. Her hand stretched out with a memory of its own. As her fingers touched the button that would silence the clock, the beeping changed. Hay Lin could swear she hear the clock whispering her name. That the beeps hadn't been beeping sounds at all!

She pressed the off button quickly. The beeping stopped and that's all they had been, beeps.

For a long moment Hay Lin's eyes stayed on the clock. Even still… there was something about the odd shaped clock… something that reminded her of… someone… the thought was lost and Hay Lin pulled the covers tighter over her body, hiding inside them like a cocoon.

Still in shock, still unsure of where she was, Hay Lin kept her eyes open as she lay under her covers. Even though she couldn't see anything, she didn't even want to blink. Slowly, she pulled open the covers until she had a proper hole to peak out through.

The young girl held herself tightly as she sorted out the reality in the darkness. This was her room. Those were her things, on the floor. This was her bed she was laying on. These were her blankets wrapped around her. And—Hay Lin double checked to be sure—these were her pajamas she was wearing.

Holding out one of her hands, Hay Lin flexed it, watching her fingers open and close as though unable to comprehend them. How… how had she gotten here? How was she ok? The last thing she clearly remembered was the car—was the pain. But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a distant dream. Already the images were starting to slip away from her.

A startling knock came at her door and Hay Lin let out a yelp of distress.

"Hay Lin, are you ok?" called the voice of her mother, sounding a little worried.

"Yeah, mom," Hay Lin answered automatically, her heart rate still very fast from the sudden shock.

"Well, hurry up and get dressed, your friend is waiting downstairs to walk to school with you," replied her mother. Hay Lin's eyes swiveled to the door. But she could already hear footsteps moving away.

Someone was waiting for her? A friend? For one horrifying moment images of a red haired girl flashed through Hay Lin's mind. Terrible images… Images, of death.

Her eyes slid to the frog shaped clock that sat silently on the table next to her bed. Then she closed her eyes and rubbed her face with her hands and forced herself out of bed.

Half dazed, Hay Lin dressed before making a trip to the bathroom to clean herself up. A few minutes later she was headed down stairs, her head finally starting to clear. Until she saw who was waiting for her.

Hay Lin almost dropped her book bag as she covered her mouth to stop the squeak of surprise. Sitting at the table, watching TV with her parents was… Irma. 'Why… how…?' Were the only words repeating in her head. Hay Lin's mind was reeling. It wasn't possible, she couldn't be…

But when Hay Lin tried to reason why it wasn't possible, her thoughts failed her. Specific events slipped through her fingers like sand. She felt like she was losing her mind! Like she really hadn't woken up at all. That her dream had just sort of slipped sideways into reality.

"Hay-hey!" shouted Irma, snapping Hay Lin out of the daydream. "About time you got up, come on!" There was a broad smile across the brown haired girl's face as she moved to her friend. Hay Lin looked away uncomfortably. "Huh? What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I… uh…" Hay Lin stalled, unsure what to say. There were words flying all around her head. Words Irma had yelled at her. And there was the memory of a hot hand print on her face from where Irma had slapped her. And… and… it was all a dream… it couldn't be real… it didn't feel real!

"It's nothing," said Hay Lin, forcing a weak grin. Irma raised a curious eyebrow.

"Ooooo-k," said Irma shaking her head, smile still on her face. "Let's get going or we'll be late!"

"Right. Late for what?" asked Hay Lin.

"School!" replied Irma rolling her eyes. Everything still felt a little off some how. "You sure you're awake?"

"Not really," Hay Lin mumbled into her bookbag so that the words were difficult to hear.

"Wait!" called Hay Lin's mom. "You can't go outside like that!" Both Hay Lin and Irma looked at each other, then at Hay Lin's mom. "It's raining! You need umbrellas at the very least!"

* * *

Thick gray storm clouds covered the sky overhead and cold rain pattered against the umbrellas of the two girls. They walked in silence almost the whole way to school. To Hay Lin, it felt like the walk had taken only a few seconds.

Inside, the halls were dry and the class room was warm, even if their lesson was boring. Hay Lin was only half paying attention to their teacher as he prattled on about… something. Her eyes kept drifting down to Irma and sliding over to Taranee.

Taranee… There was another girl she hadn't expected to find in her class today, but, for the life of her, Hay Lin couldn't figure out why. Everything inside her head was all jumbled up and every time she got hold of something it slipped away.

Lunch came quickly and Cornelia joined them. The four girls ate together, Irma telling a story that Hay Lin was hardly listening too, while Cornelia and Taranee laughed at just the right moments. Hay Lin stayed quiet and no one seemed to notice.

As lunch ended, and they were all getting up to leave, terrible pain shot through Hay Lin's leg as she tried to stand. She let out a cry of distress and Irma moved quickly to her with words of concern. But the cramp was already fading, except, it hadn't felt like any cramp Hay Lin had ever experienced before.

Then, before she knew it, the school bell was ringing, signaling the end of classes for the day. Hay Lin hardly even remembered coming back from lunch. Had she fallen asleep in class?

With a hurried bustle the students got up to leave, chatting away like they didn't have a care in the world. In the noise of the students it was the soft sound of the rain patting against the window that drew Hay Lin's attention. It seemed to be the most real thing in this…

"Helloooo, Earth to Hay Lin." Hay Lin was returned from her lost thoughts as Irma tapped her on the forehead. There was an uncertain smile on Irma's face. "Are you awake in there?"

"Maybe," whispered Hay Lin, she felt groggy, like she really had been asleep.

"Do you want to walk home together?" Irma asked as Hay Lin began to gather her things.

"Sure!" said Hay Lin putting on a bright smile.

The rain continued to fall, cold and wet and relentless, from the gray sky. Again, the walk home felt like only seconds. It had been awkwardly silent. There were questions burning inside Hay Lin's head. Questions she wanted to ask so badly.

"Well, see you tomorrow," said Irma with a wave and she began to walk away.

"Wait!" shouted Hay Lin, Irma stopped and looked back at her, puzzled. "I… we… Irma I have to ask you something." There was worry and uncertainty across Hay Lin's face.

"Ok," said Irma. The rain continued to fall on them. Hay Lin put off her question as long as possible before blurting out, very quickly.

"Didwehaveafight?" ask Hay Lin, very fast.

"Huh?" asked Irma, not understanding. "I didn't catch that."

"Did we… have a fight?" asked Hay Lin again. Irma looked shocked but shook her head.

"Of course not, why would you think that?" replied Irma confused. Hay Lin let out a sigh. It really had just been a dream. All of it. Cornelia hadn't killed Will, everything was fine, everything was all right.

"Uh, no reason," said Hay Lin. "I just had this really bad dream about Will last night and it kinda messed with my brain I guess."

"Whose Will?" asked Irma genuinely confused. Then a devilish smirk spread across her face. "Is Will your secret boyfriend you haven't told me about?"

"Irma that's not funny!" said Hay Lin, she could feel panic rising in her chest.

"Sorry, sorry," apologized Irma. "I won't tease you about your secret boyfriend."

"No, I mean it's not funny to pretend you don't know who Will is," said Hay Lin. Irma raised an eye brow.

"Uh, did I meet him at a party, Hay Hey? You know I'm terrible with faces…" Irma said, scratching the back of her neck. Hay Lin shook her head, this… this was wrong.

"No, Will is a girl! She has red hair! She's leader of WITCH!" Hay Lin shouted. Irma looked taken aback.

"Is that a TV show? Cause' I don't know what you're talking about Hay Lin," said Irma shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, it's a TV show," replied Hay Lin, her features falling. This was all wrong.

"Well, you know I'm not much on TV. I'll take loud music over TV any day," said Irma with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah," said Hay Lin trying not to let her pain show as she waved goodbye to the best friend she didn't even know. Irma walked off, waving goodbye for a few more seconds. Hay Lin was overcome by the strangest sensation that the world was wrong but she tried to ignore it.

Slowly, Hay Lin moved to the entrance that would take her inside the Silver Dragon, the restaurant that her parents owned, and out of the rain. But she did not open the door. Instead she stood there a moment, her thoughts uncertain.

Determinately, as if fighting some unseen force, Hay Lin pushed herself away from the door and jogged after Irma. Something wasn't right. Irma wasn't right. And Hay Lin was going to find out what!

The small Asian girl ran faster, her steps splashing her with icy water, but she didn't care. She had almost caught up with Irma, who apparently couldn't hear Hay Lin running towards her at nearly a full sprint now.

Irma turned the corner and a moment later Hay Lin screeched to a stop at the edge of the curb, looking down the sidewalk, where Irma should be. But Hay Lin did not see Irma. Instead she found only an empty street. No cars, no people and no Irma, just the endless, freezing, rain.

* * *

Sopping wet Hay Lin trudged across the restaurant. The few customers that were in today hardly glanced up at here as she entered, but all of them watched her out of the corner of their eyes. Silently judging her or, at least, that's what Hay Lin thought.

She had almost reached the door in the back—that would take her to the small kitchen area and then up to her room—when she stopped. There was a man, sitting at the table next to the door, reading the news paper, waiting for his food.

Hay Lin's eyes raced over him, his bald head, his white robes. He was clearly out of place and the rest of the world seemed to become darker around him, as though he were more tangible than the rest of the world.

The bald man looked up at Hay Lin and smiled pleasantly.

"Hay Lin!" cried her mother's voice as she appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray of food. "You're soaked! What happened?" her mother set the tray down on a nearby table and embraced her daughter in a rough hug.

Hay Lin's eyes slid back to the bald man, or rather the empty table he had been sitting at, because there was no one there. He too had vanished… like Irma. Or worse… maybe he had never been there to start with…

"Go up stairs and get changed before you catch a cold," continued her mom, finally letting go. Hay Lin nodded slightly and her mom smiled at her before lifting the tray once more and moving off to one of the few tables that had people at it.

Absently Hay Lin moved to the table where the man had been. She had seen him before some place, but she couldn't clearly recall where. Already his features were sliding from her mind.

Hay Lin was just about to walk off when she noticed that the newspaper the man had been reading was still on the table. With a trembling hand, the frightened girl reached out and touched the paper, half expecting it too to vanish any second. But it did not.

Slowly, Hay Lin rotated the grayish newspaper until the words were right-side-up and she could read them. Her eyes flicked across the headlines and she felt her breath catch in her chest.

"The World is a Lie…" was what the first half of the headline said. Hay Lin stumbled backwards, knocking over a chair. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the room turn to her but Hay Lin did not say anything and she did not right the chair. Instead she sprinted to her room, slamming her door behind her and hiding under the covers of her bed as though she were a little girl.

In the warm blankets Hay Lin hardly noticed the chill from her wet clothing. Her mind whirled with the words of the headline she had read. Although she did not want to, the terrible words replayed over and over in her mind as she lay huddled in the darkness of her room. "The World is a Lie, Hay Lin."

* * *

This couldn't be real. That was the first thing Hay Lin thought as she felt the ice cold rain pummeling her skin. This had to be a dream.

Shadowy trees spread out in front of Hay Lin as she lay in Heatherfield park once more. It was nighttime and the park should have been completely dark, but instead it was haunted by a cold blue light that spread across the ground and lingered on the trees.

The light was coming from behind where Hay Lin was laying. She tried to stand, to turn around, but found that she couldn't move. Her eyes swept across her limbs. Vines, entangling her arms and legs and body had wrapped themselves around her.

They weren't normal plant vines either. These vines were glowing with blue magical energy. And they hadn't just wrapped around her, they had grown into her skin… her silver skin.

Acting on instinct more than reason she bit at the vines, tearing them away. It hurt, but she could endure, and soon she was free of them.

Rising to her feet Hay Lin winced in pain. Her body ached.

What was she doing here? How had she gotten here?

As if in answer to her question bright blue light flashed from behind Hay Lin, illuminating the ground and the trees. It cast her shadow along the ground, something about the shadow was wrong. Its shape… wasn't… human…

Closing her eyes, as though seeing what was making the light would be too much, Hay Lin turned to around. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

For a moment she could only see stinging blue light. But that moment quickly passed and Hay Lin wasn't sure what she was looking at.

The first word to jump to her thoughts was "pyramid" but that wasn't quiet right. It didn't look like any pyramid she had ever seen before. Great stretches of blue glowing runes moved and danced around the surface of the structure. While the building was triangular is shape, its sides did not seem solid or fixed. In fact the building itself seemed to steadily be getting larger.

The point was a good hundred feet above her, yet its base was much too small. Coming out from the top was a pillar of blue light, pricing the clouds still higher above, churning them in a great spiral.

Hay Lin's eyes returned to ground level. Her breathing became uneven and her heart pounded against her ribs. At the base of the pyramid were two great silver-metal monsters, their own blue eyes cutting into her. They stood at either side of a doorway, guarding it—at least, that's what Hay Lin guessed they were doing.

She would have given anything to run but to her horror, Hay Lin's footsteps took her forward, towards the great dark doorway, towards the metal monsters that watched her.

As she got closer Hay Lin could swear that the structure was becoming larger and not just because she was getting closer, but because it was actually growing. Trying not to look at the metal monsters Hay Lin's eyes found the ground.

But it seemed there was no escape here either, the same blue root-like veins that had been wrapped around her, ran through the earth under her feet. They stretched deep under ground and out in every direction, and Hay Lin could seem them, even through the soil, as if their glow was powerful enough to overcome solid earth.

Hay Lin looked straight ahead, not wanting to see anymore. She avoided eye contact with the monsters that she knew would pounce on her any moment and rip her to pieces. But they did not and Hay Lin moved past them and into the shadowy darkness beyond.

It was not warmer inside. In fact, it was colder. Hay Lin could see her frozen breath escaping her lips as her ragged breathing continued. The entrance hall led immediately to a set of near vertical stairs.

To Hay Lin, it felt like the walls were contracting around her with each step she took. Like the outside, the inside spun with blue runes. Hay Lin tried to decipher the strange moving symbols, to see if she recognized any of them, but they didn't mean anything to her.

Unable to stop herself, drawn forward by some intangible force, Hay Lin ascended the perilous stairway. There were no hand rails and she didn't dare touch the walls so she was forced to crawl up the stairs on all fours, it felt oddly natural.

High above, at the end of the stairway Hay Lin could see a small opening. Her eyes locked on it, focused on it. She tried not to see the narrow hall, or the walls that felt like they were moving closer every instant of every second.

And after what seemed like a short eternity, Hay Lin crawled out of the stairwell and into the room at the top of the pyramid. It was not what she had been expecting.

The room was not a square box, but a sphere, even the floor dipped down. The walls were semi-translucent and Hay Lin could see the distant lights of the city, surrounding the park. She tried to look elsewhere, to see other things but in the end, her eyes were drawn to the center of the room, to the two people floating above the ground

In the very center of the sphere, floating between the two people, was great orb of energy. It looked like a mini blue sun. And floating around it, in a slow orbit, were two young girls. One had silver hair, she was dressed in all black, trimmed with silver. Across her face was a featureless silver mask. Tendrils of energy leapt from the walls of the spherical room and into her body, before pouring out into the mini blue sun.

The other girl that orbited opposite the silver haired one had blond hair and was dressed in much more familiar attire. Her eyes were closed and for a brief moment Hay Lin thought she knew her, but the name slipped away.

At first Hay Lin thought the energy the blond haired girl was contributing to the mini sun was coming from her body too, but as she continued to drift around the orb, Hay Lin could see that it was the blue gem around her neck that was releasing its energy, terrible, powerful energy.

Neither girl seemed to notice that Hay Lin was there. Not sure what she was suppose to do now Hay Lin sat, and pulled her knees up to her chest and watched the slow dance.

After what seemed like forever, but felt like a few second the blond haired girl opened her eyes. They quickly fixed on Hay Lin.

She lowered gently to the ground, while the masked girl continued to drift around the orb in the center, pouring her life force into it.

The blond girl moved towards Hay Lin, a cold smile on her lips. Hay Lin felt afraid, but she couldn't move.

"I see you have healed nicely," said the blond girl, examining Hay Lin. "I was worried about you." Hay Lin said nothing. The blond girl looked back at the floating orb.

"The time is coming," said the blond girl. "I will need you soon." She looked back at Hay Lin. "Don't go too far."

A distant shrill sound pierced Hay Lin's ears. As Hay Lin turned her head to listen the world faded away.

* * *

BEEP. BEEP. HAY. BEEP. The blankets on the bed stirred slightly. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. A low mumble and grown came from the small mound of covers. BEEP. LIN. BEEP. BEEP. At last a lazy hand reached out from under the bed sheets, missed the frog shaped clock twice before finally hitting the off button. The blankets lay still for a long moment.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

"Alright I'm up!" shouted Hay Lin throwing off the covers and reaching for the clock. But it was silent. A tremble ran through her body and Hay Lin hugged herself, shaking slightly, her nightmare distant in her mind but not forgotten.

It was a full minute before Hay Lin got out of bed and stood in the darkness of her room. She was surprised to find herself in her pajamas, since she distinctly remembered falling asleep in her cloths. But in truth she didn't really remember falling asleep at all.

Silently she made her way to the bathroom. The halls were still dark, what time was it? The middle of the night? Hay Lin didn't care.

She turned on the shower and almost stepped in fully clothed. A few seconds later she was ready and without checking the water temperature stepped in. She nearly screamed but managed to choke it down. The water was ice cold. She turned on hot, but it was just as cold.

Hay Lin leapt out of the shower, dripping all over the rug and the floor. Her mind was slowly catching up with her now that she had been given a burst of adrenaline. It usually took a few minutes for the hot water to come on.

The thought of grabbing a towel didn't even occur to her as she checked the water temperature over and over. But it was always cold.

Hay Lin wasn't sure how long she stood there with the shower running, but it was a long time, an hour maybe? The water didn't even warm. At last, she turned it off and returned to her room, leaving her pajamas on the bathroom floor.

It was still dark outside and the patter of rain echoed above her. Hay Lin stood with her eyes closed, in the center of her room, listening to the rain and wondering if it would ever stop falling.

After a long time she finally opened her eyes, only to be greeted by darkness. With a sigh, Hay Lin dressed and made her way down stairs.

The lights were on in the kitchen and she found her father moving about the tiny work space, getting it ready for the day. The small TV flashed with pictures of the news, the weather report, calling for clouds and rain all week. The sound was very low so Hay Lin couldn't hear what they were saying but the images said enough.

"Good morning sweetie," said her dad, stopping for a moment to kiss her on the forehead. "You're up early today."

"Yeah, I…" she was about to say she couldn't sleep, but that seemed rather obvious since she was awake. "Anything I can do to help."

"Of course, why don't you go setup the dining area?" replied her father with a smile. Hay Lin nodded brightly. This was more like it, this was more normal.

Hay Lin flicked on the lights in the restaurant and got to work. She changed tablecloths, put out new placemats, silverware and glasses. Then she swept the floor and preformed other minor tidying.

"All done Da…" Hay Lin started to say as she re-entered the kitchen. But the room was empty. Hay Lin sighed. It was nice that her parents worked at home, but, the problem was they were always working when they were home. And even though she got to see them it was like they never really saw her.

Fixing a quick breakfast, Hay Lin leaned against the counter in front of the TV and turned the volume up slightly so she could hear it over the crunch of her cereal. The newscasters were talking about some tragic story that Hay Lin had missed the start of.

"And now, here is our foreign correspondent Ori with breaking news about the ongoing conflict," said the newscaster. Hay Lin nearly chocked on her food as the images changed to a bald man, dressed in white robes. He was looking right at her. Not just at the camera, but right at her.

"The world is a lie, Hay Lin," said the man. "Do not accept what you are presented with, simply because it is presented to you. Do not push aside what you know in your heart to be true."

Hay Lin's jaw dropped, the TV… it was talking to her!

"You must not surrender. You must not accept," said the man. "You must not forget, who you are." The man's eyes lingered on Hay Lin for a long time as though willing her to read his thoughts. "Back to you Dave."

The image returned to the previous newscaster "Tragic," he commented before continuing on as though it had been just another normal report. Hay Lin stumbled backwards, knocking her bowl of cereal off the counter. In crashed to the floor and shattered, sending ceramic shards all over the kitchen.

* * *

Irma did not arrived when it came time to leave for school. So Hay Lin walked alone. The rain would not let up and her umbrella seemed useless against its assault.

The streets were oddly empty but Hay Lin hardly noticed as she walked quickly. The gates to the school were open, but, there were no other students arriving. Was she so late that everyone was already here?

The front doors were unlocked, but just like the world outside, the halls were empty and silent, save for the ever present patter of rain. Hay Lin walked slowly down the hallway, looking in on class room after class room.

Each one was empty. Was it Saturday? Had she completely gotten the days mixed up? At last, Hay Lin reached her class room and pushed the door open. But she wished she hadn't. This room was not empty.

Every seat was full. Every seat had the exact same person sitting in it, looking at her, smiles on their faces. Hay Lin froze. Every person in the room was Irma Liar.

"Hey, Hay Hay," echoed all of the Irma's at once. Hay Lin stumbled backwards and slammed the door. Her hand was still firmly grasping the knob, ready to hold the door shut if any of them tried to open it. But the knob did not turn and no one tired to open the door.

After a short while her breathing steadied and Hay Lin opened the door again, but the room was empty. Shaking her head in disbelief, Hay Lin ran. She ran from the school, she ran across the car-less streets, she ran home… to the empty restaurant.

"Mom! Dad!" Hay Lin shouted as her eyes swept across the tables, set and ready for customers that would never come. There was no answer. The world was empty. She was all alone.

The chime that hung by the door sounded as it opened and Hay Lin spun around startled. She whished she hadn't looked. Standing in the entrance was a girl with long blond hair and piercing blue eyes. A blue gem hung around her neck and there was a slight frown upon her face.

"So this is where you've been," said the girl quietly, her tone disapproving.

"Cornelia…" whispered Hay Lin, slowly backing away. The blond girl held out her hand.

"It's time. I am ready," said Cornelia. Hay Lin couldn't stop herself, she took Cornelia's hand and the world melted away around them, like it was a water color painting and the rain was dissolving it.

"Up, Hay Lin, take me up," commanded Cornelia. Hay Lin had no idea what Cornelia was talking about but that didn't seem to matter. They were flying, racing away from the ground, up towards the clouds.

A blue pillar of light spun with terrible speed at the center of the storm clouds, turning the sky. The spinning clouds moved as fast as a hurricane now.

"This is good," said Cornelia as they came within a few hundred feet of the clouds. Cornelia spread her hands and began to speak in a booming voice that seemed to shake the sky. "Forgotten and lost in darkness. Banished from the light of the universe to the edge of nothingness. I summon you back kingdom of the night. Fortress of Rakadin!"

As Cornelia spoke the last words the clouds suddenly tore apart. A huge black sphere expanded high above, the blue pillar pushing into it. The sphere of darkness grew larger and larger until Hay Lin thought it would swallow them up.

And then, something appeared out of the darkness, something massive, the size of a small city. A Castle. A dark kingdom with looming spires and menacing walls of black stone. The sphere collapsed on itself and the blue pillar of light flickered before going out.

The castle began to fall towards the Earth below, but Cornelia seemed to be prepared for this. With a roar of effort Cornelia pulled the pyramid that sat far below from the ground, it raced up towards them.

With a horrible realization Hay Lin saw that there was no where to go. Falling towards them was a huge castle. Racing up from the ground was the point of a pyramid. She and Cornelia would be crushed between them!

But Hay Lin was willing to accept that. She closed her eyes waiting for the moment of impact to come. Instead, she felt her feet lightly touch the ground. Hay Lin opened her eyes. She and Cornelia were both inside the spherical room at the top of the pyramid.

Hay Lin looked at Cornelia, whose face was turned upwards. The structure was still ascending with blinding speed towards the bottom of the falling castle. Closer and closer, faster and faster until at last the two collided.

The force of the impact knocked Hay Lin off her feet, but Cornelia remained standing. The pyramid cut though the underbelly of the castle, pricing deep into the heart of Rakadin before slowing to a stop.

They were no longer flying upwards, but nor were they falling. Cornelia waved a hand and a wall of the pyramid faded away, they had stopped so that just the tip was ground level with the floor of the room. A smile spread across Cornelia's face.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**Hey everyone! Welcome back. I know it took a little while, but, hey, this is a story of epic proportions! I can't write this stuff in just one sitting overnight… although, some of the later chapters maybe as I start stressing near the ending…**

**Anyhow, the real question I bet everyone is wondering is when is lunch?… Wait… no… what happens next?! (and what's for lunch?) Well, luckily, you don't have to wait too long to find out, I brought tuna… (okay, done with lunch jokes). The next chapter will be posted next, next Saturday (that's November 14)! And each chapter to follow that format until we are done (so every other week, or twice a month, complete list is in my forum)!**

**At present the first draft of this story is 17 chapters long. Four episodes broken into four parts each (there is totally no hidden meaning behind that, don't look any deeper… wink), with the final episode being five parts.**

**Anyhow, I hope you've enjoyed the first installment of this story. Feel free to leave a review! I love reviews… and tuna… I'm gona go make a sandwich now…**

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!**

**Starwin out. (for now)**


	2. E1 P2: Controlling the Future

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 1: Haven

* * *

Part 2: Controlling the Future

* * *

From high above, the Moon cast its silver radiance down upon the Earth. Yet it was odd that the Moon's light was silver at all. For the Moon did not make its own light, rather it used the golden light of the Sun. The golden light, turned silver.

However few people who lived below even knew there was a Moon tonight. A thick veil of gray clouds had completely covered the entire planet, save for one, tiny, spot. In that one spot, the clouds were torn open in a gaping hole. A massive black castle hung at the eye of the hurricane, at the very center of the hole in the clouds, leaving open air like a moat between marble stone and violent storm.

At the center of the castle—in the center of the storm—deep inside the fortress walls, stood a fourteen year old girl. Golden-blond hair flowed down her back. Bright blue eyes shined as she surveyed the shadowy walls of her new home.

Her name was Cornelia Hale, former member of WITCH and guardian of the element of earth. She had turned against her friends. She had abandoned the vows she'd sworn to protect others. And she had become a murderer.

All for this place, for Rakadin, the dark twin of Kandrakar. She was not impressed by what she saw.

But none the less, it was filled with magic, forbidden, tainted magic. It had been banished past the furthest reaches of the universe, out into the Void. But Cornelia had summoned it back, harnessing the magical energies of her home world, the planet Earth.

She needed Rakadin, no matter what the cost. It was the only way she could stop what was coming. It was the only way to save the universe.

Lifting the blue gem—set in silver metal—from around her neck, the girl whispered soft words to it. Intense blue light burst from the gem, painting the walls in violet for a moment as beams of light danced across the room. Cornelia could see that the floors and walls were comprised of black reflectionless marble. Had it been day time, this place would have looked just as dark and uninviting.

She tightened her grip on the gem. The blue light burned more brightly. Suddenly energy bolts erupted from the stone clasped in Cornelia's hand. The tendrils of energy escaped from between her fingers, licking at the walls and floor.

The flickering light made the shadow of the girl dance across the ground, as though it too were alive. Then, as abruptly as it had come the energy subsided. It withdrew into the gem, leaving no trace on the smooth ground.

Cornelia's eyes slid to the long silver dragon that sulked soundlessly beside her. The beast moved low along the floor, its body only high enough to reach the girl's waist. It had no wings and its eyes glowed the same eerie blue as the gem around Cornelia's neck.

The sound of stone cracking pulled Cornelia's attention away from the dragon at her side. Deep blue vines had begun to sprout from the marble ground and crawl down the polished walls. The vines were quickly spreading across the floor, growing faster than any natural plant. They undulated in and out of the floor, sliding through the stone as though it were loose dirt.

Cornelia let the gem fall from her hand and its light went out. However, the room did not return to darkness. The vines were glowing, pulsing with the same eerie blue light as the gem.

The girl smiled.

She made to take a step forward, but paused, as if remembering something. Slightly she looked back over her shoulder to the small pyramid that dominated the center of the room.

"Don't let anyone in here," she said, addressing the darkness. From within the shadows of the pyramid, two sets of glowing blue eyes answered wordlessly her commands.

"Follow," whispered Cornelia, her attention returning to the silver dragon beside her. "It's time to find the monsters."

* * *

Rakadin was a maze. Filled with twisting corridors that split into more corridors, which split into more corridors. Stairs went up and stairs went down. And everything, in every direction, looked the same. Endless hallways filled with endless darkness.

But the golden-haired girl would not let it stay that way for long. As she walked the silver dragon followed obediently beside her. And behind the metal monster, the plant vines crawled along the floor, and climbed the walls. Soon Rakadin would look more like a jungle than a castle.

Cornelia knew where she was going, knew who she was looking for. The gem around her neck was whispering to her as its light flitted across the floor, causing the ground to sparkle.

The two walked in silence and soon the feeling of emptiness began to fade. The darkened hallways of Rakadin were no longer filled with only shadows. Cornelia could feel the eyes of the monsters of Rakadin upon her. She could hear their low whispers as she walked past.

These were the former prisoners of Kandrakar. They had been sealed away in the tower of mists for their terrible crimes. Each of them had been a threat against Kandrakar. And each of them had done acts of unspeakable evil.

Now, they surrounded her on all sides.

The long silver dragon moved closer to Cornelia, its teeth flashed as it growled protectively, as though trying to guard her. But the gesture of protection went unnoticed. There was a time, long ago, that she would have feared these horrible monsters. These beasts of all shapes and sizes would have filled her nightmares. But that was no longer true. She didn't feel fear anymore… She didn't need to feel anymore.

The doors before them where pulled open, giving way to a massive chamber. The walls were so tall that the high ceiling vanished into darkness above them. There were no windows here.

Along the walls were hundreds upon hundreds of monsters and demons. It was as if this place was their lair. And at the center of their lair, strewn across a massive pearl white throne was a huge snake.

Yet it was also a man. The upper half of the man was still a sickly green, but it had human features. However the lower half was the body of a snake. Patterns of yellow scales rolled down its green body and long white hair hung from its ugly head.

The heavy doors closed behind Cornelia with a thud and beasts moved in front of it, baring any escape. The girl hardly noticed, even though her dragon was growling loudly at the mob that was slowly pressing in on them, ready to strike and devour the intruders.

"I am Cornelia," the young girl said, her voice boomed so that all could hear, although she did not shout. "And I am the new Empress of Rakadin."

At first there was only uncertain silence. Then laughing and jeering began to echo from the hordes of monsters around the room. However the huge snake man at the center of the chamber did not laugh.

"Empress!" sneered the great snake man as he continued to lounge on this throne. Cornelia could see now that it was made of bones. "You are just a weak, little, girl! Not even fit for a snack! I smell a greater power than yours, where is your master? Where is the mage that summoned Rakadin?"

The silver dragon snarled at the great snake man. Cornelia recognized the snake man, he had once been a servent of Phobos, back on Meridian. His name was Cedric, and when she had seen him last he had been only slightly taller than a regular human. Now, he was so massive one of his hands could easily wrap itself around Cornelia and crush her.

"You're a lot fatter then I remember," said Cornelia a smile creasing her lips. Cedric hissed angrily, rising slightly from his throne, his eyes narrowed as though looking at Cornelia for the first time. The crowd of monsters that had pressed in around Cornelia backed away slightly. "Have these things made you their King? Or did you give yourself that title?"

"You try my patients little girl!" sneered Cedric. "Where is your…" but his words ended as his expression changed to realization. "You…" he hissed. "YOU!" the great snake leapt from his throne so quickly that the bone chair shattered.

With a hiss of rage and a great lunging movement he darted towards Cornelia with startling speed. His intent was clear. He was going to strike her. He was going to kill her.

"I will eat you!" roared Cedric as he charged Cornelia. "I will take your powers. And you will make me strong!"

In one blinding motion Cedric spun his long tail of a body. The silver dragon sprang into the air, narrowly avoiding the attack. But the tail of the snake man slammed into Cornelia with incredible force, enough to crush her into paste. However, there was no scream. There was not even the sickening crunch of bone.

A snarl of pain escaped Cedric's mouth as he whipped his tail away quickly. It had not made contact with Cornelia at all. Instead his tail had collided with a slab of stone. The shield had not been there a moment ago.

Cornelia waved her hand slightly and the stone slid back into the ground at her command.

"Having such a tiny brain must be hard for you," said Cornelia. "I expected better when Phobos told me you had taken over." With a roar of anger Cedric lunged at Cornelia again, his massive fist rushing down at her.

But again he was thwarted as this time the silver dragon darted in, biting his wrist and deflecting the blow. Cedric howled in pain and anger. He slapped the dragon away with his other hand.

Cornelia's eyes followed the silver beast as it let out a yelp and rolled across the floor before sliding to a stop.

Cedric rubbed the bite marks the dragon had left behind, then his eyes snapped back to Cornelia. The was murderous intent in his angry stare.

"You shouldn't have done that," Cornelia whispered. The expression of amusement on Cedric's face quickly vanished. Energy crackled in the air and huge chunks of stone were ripped from the ground. With a grunt of effort Cornelia flung them at Cedric.

The snake man leapt aside dodging between the stones. He deflected one of the smaller slabs as he rushed back towards Cornelia. The monsters around the room let out screams of panic as the giant stones crashed into walls and floor, crushing those unlucky enough not to get clear.

And then Cedric was within striking distance of Cornelia once more. There was no one to interfere this time, no one to stop him. His massive fist raced down at her. It was easily three times her size.

Cornelia just stood there, her eyes fixed on the death that was coming for her. There was no time to react, no time to make a stone shield and no dragon to protect her. Cornelia let her eyes close.

The fist crashed into her with incredible speed. But Cedric hadn't struck her, Cornelia had caught the blow with her own small hand. The force of the strike hadn't even moved her an inch—as if she too were made of stone.

Cedric tried to pull away, but he could not get free.

"I have no use for you," said Cornelia, her eyes still closed. Cedric's eyes were locked on her, he was properly afraid for the first time. "You have nothing to offer me but betrayal. And I don't have time for your games." Cornelia let him go but as Cedric pulled his hand back, he realized that he couldn't open his fist.

Terror spread across his face. Cedric could see why his hand would no longer obey his command. Cornelia opened her eyes and Cedric saw the terror on his face reflected in them.

His fingers were slowly turning to stone. Black, marble-like, stone. And the transformation did not stop with his hand. The marble crawled along his arm and towards his body, changing green scales into dark black rock.

"Please!" Cedric begged, holding his stone fist out to Cornelia. "Please! You must stop this. I swear loyalty to you! I swear it!" His whole arm had become marble.

Without sorrow or remorse or any emotion at all Cornelia looked at him and Cedric knew her answer before she spoke it.

"No," said Cornelia simply. A roar of rage exploded on Cedric's face, his stone arm swung at Cornelia, but as it struck at her the arm shattered before it could hit.

Cedric screamed in pain and fear as the stone slid across his face, freezing his expression in a howl of agony. And then he moved no more.

Cornelia took a shallow breath before blowing slightly, as though extinguishing a flickering candle. The marble form of Cedric began to wisp away like sand in the wind. A moment more and the huge snake monster was gone, blown away into dust.

"Anyone else?" asked Cornelia pleasantly, her blue eyes searching the crowd. Whispers passed over the monsters but none moved. Cornelia waited. No one stepped forward. No one spoke.

"See, that wasn't hard," said Cornelia brightly. More silence came from the horde of on lookers. "Now that we're all friends, it's time to show the rest of the universe how stupid they've been to put their trust in Kandrakar."

"You'll go to every planet protected by Kandrakar and you will bring me the Heart of every world," shouted Cornelia an expression between madness and joy on her face. "You'll take every Heart and bring them to me, until I control them all. Then we shall march on Kandrakar and take the final Heart, the most powerful Heart."

Unease strained the air as Cornelia's words passed over the monsters. A smile creased her lips.

There was a crack and the doors splintered apart. Vines spread rapidly across the floor. The monsters jumped aside, avoiding the unnatural plant as it crawled towards them. A vine stopped at Cornelia's feet before a stalk shot up, a blue glowing bulb at its end.

As she reached out her hand the bulb blossomed into a violet flower. But at the center of the flower was something that did not belong; a stone, a pointed, spiral, stone. It was shaped like a tiny drill.

"You will use these Void shards to capture Hearts," said Cornelia, holding up the spike to show the crowd. There was a low rumble and suddenly thousands of plant stocks began erupting from the floor, presenting each monster with a tiny spiral drill of their own.

Once ever monster had taken one, Cornelia touched the Soul of Rakadin and it began to glow. Energy crackled in the air, moving like living fire over the heads of the monsters before rushing down and consuming them.

"Go," whispered Cornelia, her eyes shut as her minions burned around her. Panic erupted as the beasts tried to flee as the fire engulfed the hordes, one beast at a time. "Bring me what I desire."

* * *

Rakadin was empty of all but Cornelia and her Dragons. Alex and Owin, Cornelia could no longer tell the two apart, were on patrol. She had sent them looking for any stragglers who had not been teleported away. There would be no portals, not with what she had done to the Earth.

Walking next to her, following along obediently, was Hay Lin. Cornelia had given her former friend too much freedom on Earth and as a result Hay Lin had begun to emerge from within the silver shell. The battle with Cedric had proved as much.

Cornelia would have to see to it that Hay Lin was buried so deeply that there would be nothing left of the Air Guardian. Then she would have an obedient dragon. Cold and empty like she had become.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind Cornelia knew she should have felt remorse. She should have felt pity. She should have felt something… but there was nothing.

The Soul of Rakadin had taken away all those bothersome emotions. The emotions that might have stopped Cornelia from doing what had to be done. The emotions that would have given her pause as she brought the universe under a new order, her order.

Kandrakar had failed, Cornelia thought as she strode along the hallway that would lead her back to where the pyramid was. The Oracle had become weak and in his weakness he had put in motion something terrible.

Waving her hand Cornelia opened the door that barred her way.

She would stop what the Oracle had done. She would bring the universe back under control. She would take the Heart of every world, so foolishly given by the Oracle, and make them her's.

Even now the monsters of Rakadin poured over thousands of worlds, bringing them to their knees, changing their loyalty from Kandrakar, to Rakadin. Her minions would search for the Heart Barer of each world and take the energy from them.

Some would resist and many would surely die. But again, the thought hardly even registered with Cornelia. This had to be done. It was what she was meant to do.

An odd sensation, like a second voice echoed through her thoughts, bringing Cornelia to a stop. Why did she have to do this… why did… but the thought was lost as nothingness wrapped around it, sealing it away.

Cornelia shook her head, new thoughts and plans pressing upon her as she resumed her walk. Once she had the Heart of every world she would march on Kandrakar and kill the Oracle. She would make the elders pledge themselves to her. She would take the Heart of Kandrakar, the final Heart, and then she would stop what was coming.

At last Cornelia re-entered the room where her pyramid had broken through. She didn't hesitate as she made her way to it and stepped inside.

The floor sloped down in a smooth semi circle. The walls were also hollowed out, presenting the effect of the room having a spherical shape. And, with the exception of the silver haired girl, who lay motionless on the far side, the small chamber was empty.

Her name was Serenity. Cornelia's cold blue eyes swept across the form of the other girl, she did not stir. In fact, she had not moved for several days. Not since the night Cornelia had killed Will Vandom.

The girl wasn't dead, but she wasn't properly alive either. However, that had not stopped Cornelia from using the magical energy Serenity possessed for her own purposes.

Serenity had been the previous keeper of the gem that now rested around Cornelia's neck. She had used it to enslave people, to make her Dragon Knights. To capture Will.

But she would never use it again. Cornelia had no intention of giving it up. Quite the opposite, Cornelia intended to keep the Soul of Rakadin forever, to merge every Heart in the universe with it.

Kneeling slightly, Cornelia brushed the long silver hair out of Serenity's covered face. A mask, made of silver metal, wrapped around her nose, eyes and mouth, hiding all of her features from view.

As Cornelia's hand brushed the silver mask visions filled Cornelia's eyes.

Never ending darkness. Darker than the darkest night. Longer than the universe. Eternal. Forever.

And at the center of the darkness. The cause of it all, was Will Vandom. She would destroy the universe.

* * *

Cornelia paced back and forth in front of the pyramid stopping every now and then to cast glances at Serenity, in her silver mask, unwaking on the floor inside.

Apparently, death had not been enough. She had killed Will Vandom, murdered her. Removed her from the universe… Yet, the vision, Serenity's vision, of the future remained the same. Will would be the center of the universe while it ended around her.

The only hope, the only way to stop that from happening was to keep Will from being there. Every Heart, from every world had to belong to Cornelia. And unlike Will, Cornelia would ensure that there would be no end, that the universe would endure forever… and that she would rule it.

A low growl rumbled through the chamber. Cornelia's eyes swept to Hay Lin who was guarding the entrance to the room. Cornelia's eyes traveled across the vine strewn floor to a ball of shimmering blue fire that hung in the air. The fireball exploded and out of it a small black stone shot at Cornelia like a bullet. Trails of blue flame streamed along behind it.

Holding out her hand Cornelia commanded the small stone to stop, it did so, hanging in the air before her. With a flick of her wrist Cornelia caused the skin of the black stone to peal away. Intense light burned inside it. The stone skin dropped to the floor but the orb of light floated to Cornelia's hand and land softly in her waiting palm. The light was warm and it beat softly with the energy of an entire world behind it.

Cornelia closed her hands around it, hiding the light. She could feel the Heart in her hand tremble as though it was afraid, then she lifted it and touched the Heart against the Soul of Rakadin.

The room was filled with blinding white light. Hay Lin let out a hiss of distress but Cornelia remained calm. Very quickly the blue light of the gem overtook the white light of the Heart. In an instant the white light was gone and the blue glow of the Soul pulsed softly in the darkness of Rakadin.

Cornelia took a great breath as if she had been holding it in. Her body tingled slightly with the feel of energy. But something felt odd, out of place.

Absently Cornelia ran a hand across her face, there was nothing different, until she touched her hair. It felt colder somehow. Holding out a few stands Cornelia discovered that her blond hair was no longer golden in color. It had turned silver.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**First and foremost let me say: Thank you to everyone! Without everyone out there taking the time to come in and read my work, there would be no story (well none in written format at least).**

**THANK YOU everyone who left me a review last chapter! **XV-Dragon, Sokai, Darev **and** lost prince!** Without you I probably would have given up writing a while ago. It's certainly more rewarding to know what people think of my work!**

**So anyhow… notes. Well I have pages of those, so I'll try to boil this down into the manageable. First, to the story overall. I've been working on this installment (Beyond the Infinity) of the story for a while now. I started work on it during the publication of UtW (a little more than halfway through). And this damn chapter has taunted me to no end! **

**I don't know what it was about it, but it just didn't want to come out! And even once I got it down, the damn thing kept changing! (heck I was making changes right up until I posted this).**

**The original intent remains intact but damn if I didn't have to take the most round about path to get to it! But of course, what fun is the direct path :D**

**Ahem, anyhow. A very early draft of this chapter contained the introduction of two new villains (in addition to Cedric, giving us three). However, more bad guys proved to just be too much! They didn't get enough face time throughout the rest of the story. And they felt wholly under developed as we approached the conclusion (fifteen chapters from now, but still). In short, I kept coming back to the problem with them being not important enough.**

**So, final draft, they all got whacked, with Cedric just having a cameo. After all, this story isn't about him. But I couldn't call this fanfiction if I didn't throw him in, after all, everyone else does…**

**Anyhow…**

**Starwin out.**


	3. E1 P3: The Fire Heart

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 1: Haven

* * *

Part 3: The Fire Heart

* * *

At the very center of the universe, at its heart, was a tiny white egg. It was not as bright as a sun, yet it still glowed with a steady inner light. No planets circled around it, nor did it move. It simply sat—sat at the center of everything as the universe spun around it.

It was not a planet. It was not a star. It was a place. A place named Kandrakar.

For as long as there had been a sky, Kandrakar had been the center of it. Yet it was rarely seen from the outside. The people who lived in Kandrakar did not travel through space, but moved between it, in the currents of elemental magic.

The egg of white was encircled in thin lines of moving golden thread, woven with the most powerful spells of protection. The barriers of Kandrakar were exceptionally strong, preventing any and all forms of magical intrusion by even the most dangerous of enemies.

Only the Heart of Kandrakar had the power to bring outsiders through the barrier. And only a keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar could command it to do so. Even the will of the elders could not prevent a keeper of the Heart form coming and going as they pleased.

However, at the moment, there was no keeper. The girl who had kept the Heart safe from its enemies had been struck down by her friend. So now, the Heart of the most powerful world was without a keeper.

Although the impenetrable walls of Kandrakar could safely protect the Heart—from the enemies who longed to posses it—they could not ease the suffering of those within. Will Vandom had not been the first keeper to die with the gem around her neck, nor would she be the last.

Far from the Heart, at the most distant end of Kandrakar, was a small room. Its walls were unusually thick and lined with many sets of magical runes. Its doors were uncommonly locked, not just with latches but with spells and seals. And most bizarre of all, inside the room, the cell, were two young girls.

One of the girls, her hair dark like the evening sky and her skin the color of chocolate, lay on the only bed the small room had to offer. It was made of hard white marble stone and was perhaps not meant to be a bed at all, since it was very uncomfortable. Her glasses had been placed above her head and her faded brown eyes were closed.

Her name was Taranee Cook and she was not asleep, although she pretended that she was.

The other girl who sat only a few feet away, was not asleep either but she did not pretend anything. The young brown haired girl's pudgy face was screwed up in anger. Her normally bright aqua colored eyes had dark circles under them.

Her friends called her Irma Lair. Well, everyone called her that, it was her name after all. Everyone, except the Oracle… he always called her Guardian, which wasn't a name at all. She hated him for it. For that and so many other reasons.

Irma's eyes were narrowed in frustration as she watched the locked door in front of her. Unlike most doors in Kandrakar, this one was made of heavy marble. It was strong and solid and locked. Silently, Irma cursed the stupid door that sat between her and the rest of Kandrakar… and the Oracle.

New anger spread across Irma's face as her thoughts once more turned to the Oracle. The bastard that had let her friend die. The bastard that hadn't lifted a finger to help them. The bastard that had locked them in this stupid room. The bastard…

"That is coming this way!" said Taranee aloud, sitting up suddenly, startling Irma. "No, you were thinking it." replied Taranee, her vacant eyes snapping to Irma as she fumbled with her glasses. "Broadcasting it really. You still are. And I don't think that's a good idea. Not that I don't want to either but…"

There was the crack of powerful magic and the sound of stone grinding against stone as the marble door slid open. Irma leapt to her feet without hesitation but not to escape. A bald man, dressed in white robes, moved gracefully through the doorway towards the two girls.

But no sooner had he taken a step into the room than Irma punched him, as hard as she could, in the face. Her fist had been balled, and her fingernails had cut into her palm, but she didn't care.

The Oracle staggered, clutching the wall for support.

"I can understand your frustration…" began the Oracle, slowly recovering, his voice calm as if Irma hadn't even hit him at all. Rage erupted in Irma's eyes. And she raised her fist again.

"You don't understand anything!" she screamed. But before Irma could swing at the Oracle again, Taranee threaded her own arms around Irma's elbow, stopping her. Irma hardly noticed as she continued to scream at the Oracle. She pulled as hard as she could against Taranee, who was barely able to restrain her friend.

"You don't understanding a god damn thing!" yelled Irma, tears breaking free from her eyes and burning on her face. "You let Will die! You did nothing to save her! You didn't even try!"

"That is untrue," whispered the Oracle his voice still irritatingly calm. The old man's eyes did not come up to meet Irma's and his feeble words did not reach her ears.

"And then you lock us in this tiny room for days!" shout Irma, her voice cracking as her vocal cords tried to keep up with the strain and muscle spasms. "While you sit around doing what? Doing nothing!"

With lighting speed Irma used her left hand this time and slapped the Oracle across the other side of his face. The second blow was enough to knock the Oracle off his feet this time. He fell to the floor a broken man, not a great and powerful god, but a man. And Irma hated him.

But for all the impact it made Irma might not have done anything to him at all. When he spoke again his unnatural calm was unbroken by Irma's assault.

"We have been trying to reach Hay Lin," replied the Oracle.

"You didn't have to lock us up," said Taranee, still holding onto Irma tightly so that she could not go over and kick the Oracle. Taranee's voice was also calm. Her pupils had gone almost completely white. But she was looking directly at the Oracle as if she was still able to see him. "We could have helped you."

Irma didn't know how Taranee could be so impassive. Will had died in her arms. Taranee had actually been holding Will when she had taken her final breath. Yet over the last few days Taranee had only cried once, only in the minutes after Will's death.

"No," replied the Oracle shaking his head slightly. "You would only have hindered us." Irma opened her mouth to retort but the Oracle did not give her the chance. "We were searching for a Guardian, one that has been hidden by shadows and powerful magic. Having two Guardians standing next to us would have made the task impossible. This room was designed to hide magic."

"And you couldn't have explained this to us before because…?" sneered Irma.

"I have my reasons," said the Oracle, rubbing the swelling burse on his face as he worked his way back to his feet.

"So you saved Hay Lin then?" Taranee asked, still not releasing Irma.

"No," replied the Oracle. It seemed that the only answer he had for them was "no".

"Then what good are you?" shouted Irma, taking a kick aimed at the Oracle, who was just out of range. "We could have been on Earth, looking for Hay Lin ourselves!"

"Unfortunately, that is impossible," answered the Oracle calmly.

"Why? Because you won't let us?" Irma said nastily.

"Because we cannot make travel to Earth by any magical means," replied the Oracle. "It has been veiled from the universe, like Meridian once was." Irma suddenly stopped struggling to get free of Taranee.

"What," gasped Taranee. "You mean we can't go home? What about our families?"

"I do not know," answered the Oracle his voice finally sounding strained. "None can go there and none can see it. The whole world has gone dark."

"So what are we supposed to do," asked Taranee, she was holding tightly to Irma even though her friend was no longer struggling. "Why did you come to us?"

"The Heart," said the Oracle quietly, his gaze fixing on Taranee. "Has picked you as its new keeper."

* * *

The Oracle led the way down the empty halls of Kandrakar. Taranee walked behind him, separating the bald man from the infuriated brown haired girl that stalked along at the end of the procession. Irma's anger hadn't subsided yet. In truth, Taranee wasn't sure Irma would ever forgive him. Taranee could still feel Irma's anger burning like a hot flame against her back. And she could see it.

Fire-sight—that was what she called it—gave her the power to see the world bathed in fire. Taranee didn't fully understand it herself. She knew it was a manifestation of her powers, but how and why she saw flames in everything was still a mystery to her.

However, over the past few days, part of the mystery had been revealed to her. One of the things she had figured out was that fire-sight let her see emotions. And Irma was filled with them. From sorrow to rage, the color of fire wrapping around her flickered between cold blue and burning red as one emotion rolled into the other.

The Oracle was engulfed in silvery white flames as if he were made from very hot fire. His color never wavered, like he was void of emotions, at least that was the feeling Taranee got. And Taranee wasn't sure, but Irma, who was normally an aqua color stayed more red-ish most of the time now.

But it didn't stop with people. On Earth the very ground itself had been bathed in flames, and the trees and even the sky.

Taranee didn't know what it all meant. After all, who could she ask? The Oracle? He might very well be able to give her the answers she wanted, but she wasn't about to tell him.

Taranee's sight flicked to the walls. While the white marble of Kandrakar might be impenetrable to everyone else, Taranee could see right through them, like she had x-ray vision or something.

Her eyes locked on the objects they were walking towards. Three colored balls, burning with fire, raced around much smaller sun. But, although smaller than the other three, the sun glowed more brightly than anything she had ever seen.

The intricate dance was in the room just ahead of them. Its fire and movement was more transfixing than anything Taranee had ever seen. And it took Taranee a moment to realize what she was seeing.

It was the Aurameres, the source of the Guardians power. The three spheres of light were colored orange for fire, blue for water and pink for energy. But, there should have been two more. The green orb of earth and the pearl white orb of air were both missing.

But the fact that some of the orbs were missing hardly concerned Taranee. Her gaze was held by smallest point of light that hovered in the center of the others. The sphere of pure white that did not orbit, that was not an Auramere.

They entered the room. Taranee couldn't take her eyes off point of light. She hardly even heard the word the Oracle was saying. The world around the dancing orbs darkened as thought it didn't exist. Taranee moved closer, her eyes examining the brilliant light. The shouted words of Irma were dampened into silence as the room faded away, leaving only the quiet hum of the Heart as it floated in front of her.

So far, everything she had seen with her fire-sight seemed to be just one color. But the Heart was made of many flames. Flames that were completely invisible to everyone but her. Looking at it with fire-sight Taranee could see that the Heart flickered with five colors, each an elemental color, dancing around a single point in the center.

With trembling hands Taranee reached for the Heart. The light intensified as she drew closer, as her fingers encircled it. And then, in one quick motion she grabbed it, and the world spun away from her into brilliant white fire.

* * *

Irma had to shield her eyes. The light was so intense now that Taranee was little more than an indistinguishable shadow against its brilliance. This hadn't happened when Will had gotten the Heart. Why was there so much light now?

Then, suddenly, the intense light vanished completely. Taranee stood frozen on the steps leading up to the Heart. The Aurameres that had been racing around only moments ago now hovered in the air, weightless and motionless. Then Taranee wavered, and Irma knew what was about to happen.

With a shout Irma sprinted towards her friend as Taranee began to collapse. But Irma was not close enough, she would not reach Taranee in time to catch her. However, Taranee did not fall to the floor. Instead she hung awkwardly in the air as though dangling from invisible strings.

Confused, Irma slowed to a halt. Then she looked back at the only other person in the room, the Oracle. His hand was outstretched towards Taranee.

Slowly, Irma took the last few steps to Taranee and she drifted gently down into Irma's waiting arms. Taranee was not as heavy as Irma would have guessed.

For a brief moment there was a fear hidden in Irma's eyes. When she had seen Taranee fall the worst thoughts had flashed through her mind. She wasn't ready to lose another friend, not now, not ever.

"Taranee," whisper Irma in a strained voice. "Are you alright?" Taranee did not respond, but Irma could feel her friend's shallow breathing.

"She shall be fine," replied the Oracle. Irma nearly jumped in surprise, she hadn't heard him approach. "The tragedies of late still rest heavy upon the Heart of Kandrakar. The death of a keeper is a difficult transition."

Irma had no idea what the Oracle was talking about. Was he saying the little gem that let them transform had feelings? Irma's eyes moved the Heart of Kandrakar—that now hung around Taranee's neck—even though Irma hadn't seen her put it on

"It changed colors," whispered Irma. "The Heart isn't pink anymore… it's sort of… orange."

"The color of the element to fire," answered the Oracle. "We have been waiting for it to change ever since… for several days," finished the Oracle, stopping himself. "Normally the Heart chooses a new Keeper much faster but…" again he stopped himself as if saying too much. "Steps had to be taken to make sure it would pick the right Guardian."

"What does that mean," asked Irma darkly.

"Not Cornelia," whispered Taranee, her eyes still closed and her face passive. Irma let out a relieved sigh. "Or Hay Lin…" Taranee opened her milky white eyes and Irma felt a pang of sadness in her chest.

"They are both still Guardians and thus, are eligible for the Heart to choose," explained the Oracle with a nod. "We could not permit either to become the new Keeper."

"But Cornelia killed Will!" cried Irma in outrage, nearly dropping Taranee. "How could the Heart possible even consider her after what she's done?"

"Good and evil are the concepts of people," stated the Oracle as if his answer was obvious. "The elements do not view the universe the same way we do. In their eyes, Cornelia was just as eligible to receive the Heart as you or Taranee. She is still a Guardian after all."

"Wait! Are you saying she still has all her powers too? You haven't taken them away!" cried Irma in outrage as she helped Taranee back to her feet. She was not surprised at the Oracles inaction, but it annoyed her none the less.

"A person is chosen to become a Guardian at birth. Once chosen, no one but that person may relinquish their power," explained the Oracle calmly. "We could destroy the Auramare of Earth, severing the link between a Guardian and their element, but then the element would be lost forever.

"And even an action such as that would not remove the gift from a Guardian," continued the Oracle cutting Irma off as she opened her mouth. "Cornelia would still have power over earth, diminished power, yes, but power none the less.

"You must also consider the future. Cornelia is not the first guardian to misuse her powers. While her threat is great, you must think of those that will come after you and the consequences of removing the position of the Earth guardian will affect whole universe."

There was a pause as both girls considered the Oracles words. After a long moment Taranee spoke first.

"At least we have the Heart back," said Taranee cupping the small gem in her hand.

"Yeah!" said Irma, a brightness returning to her eyes that had been absent for days. "So now we can transform and go kick her ass!" Irma punched one hand into the other and ground them together as though crushing a bug.

"It is not that simple," stated the Oracle holding up a hand. "As I've already said we cannot travel to Earth. No folds will connect. Nor can we teletransport there."

"Great, so we got this thing for nothing!" retorted Irma, indicating the Heart. "What are we supposed to do, go back to that room and do nothing? Or should we sit around and wait for you to do nothing?"

"That was not exactly what I had in mind," replied the Oracle and Irma was sure there was a sly smile hiding on his face.

* * *

Taranee had turned her fire-sight off, keeping it on all the time was tiring. But without it the world was little less then blurry shapes and faded colors. She could hardly make out the white walls her fingers brushed along for guidance. And the two people moving quickly ahead of her where little less than shadowy outlines against the brightness of Kandrakar.

The Oracles voice trailed off as he continued to explain where they were going and what he intended to do.

"No!" shouted Taranee as her steps quickened, trying to keep up with Irma. "No way!" They were moving deeper into Kandrakar. The words of the Oracle echoed in Taranee's mind. She did not believe them, did not trust them. What he was suggesting was simply impossible. It was beyond impossible, it was… unthinkable!

Even though Taranee could hardly see, she knew where they were going. It was somewhere she would never forget—the place where Will Vandom had died in her arms.

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Irma, half looking over her shoulder at Taranee. "I agree with the bald jerk. If we want to stop Cornelia we have to do something drastic!" The group descended yet another flight of stairs.

"But this is crazy!" cried Taranee, she stumbled on the last step, but Irma caught her before she could fall. "This isn't right!"

"We don't have a choice," said Irma, gently helping Taranee back to her feet. "We have to do this…" she glanced at the Oracle who stood a short distance away, stopped at two very large doors, waiting for them. "… don't we?"

"There is always a choice," replied the Oracle. "Destiny, fate; these are words we use to justify the paths we take. But there is always a choice for those who look. I see the future, yet I am not always sure what is to come, or what action is right…"

"Then…" said Irma, letting go of Taranee "…I'll do it. I go after Will."

"You…" whispered Taranee, her voice on the edge of cracking. "You can't leave me behind too."

"Hey, I'm not leaving you," said Irma and she wrapped her arms around Taranee in a powerful hug. Even though Taranee wasn't using her fire-sight, she could swear Irma was practically glowing. "I'll always be with you," Irma whispered so that only Taranee could hear.

All Taranee could do was nod. Irma released the hug but took Taranee's hand, pulling her onwards. The doors behind the Oracle begun to open slowly. Rolling mist poured out across the ground and brilliant light, flooded the hallway.

"It would be better for you to wait here." said the Oracle. His eyes swept to Taranee. Without thinking Taranee took hold of the Heart around her neck.

"I want to come," said Taranee. "I want to see her. I want to be there when…" Taranee couldn't say it but the Oracle nodded.

The three of them stepped past the doorway, the same doors Taranee had tried to get past with Will dieing in her arms. Painful memories shook Taranee as she stepped forward, but Irma's grip on her hand helped her kept them under control.

The room beyond the doors was strange, to say the least. The pristine white of the rest of Kandrakar had nothing on this room. The walls and ceiling seemed to be made of soft white light, as though they weren't solid at all. The floor was covered in fluffy white clouds. And if Taranee didn't know better, she would have sworn they were outside.

The air was oddly thick, almost as if there were more people in this room than just them. The Oracle's voice felt otherworldly in Taranee's ears as he talked. But she was hardly listening to his words. Every part of her had become focused on the person in the center of the room.

Taranee was not the only one distracted, Irma had obviously noticed her too. The brown haired girl had began to move towards the person who was not sleeping, who was covered in a cloth so fine that even Taranee could plainly see the young girl's red hair.

The Oracle bared Irma's progress.

"You must focus, Guardian" said the bald man standing next to her. Irma looked longingly at the body of her friend. "If you want to help Will you must listen and do as I say."

Taranee continued to stand where she was, watching the two people in front of her as if seeing them from far away. Something about this room was… odd. The air felt… unnatural, as if there were many other people in here with them, all holding there breathe. Briefly, Taranee debated about using her fire-sight, but decided she didn't want to see whatever was hidden in the air.

Taranee's attention returned to the Irma and the Oracle, they had moved closer to Will's body. Taranee could see that Will was laying on a bed made of white stone, or maybe, of clouds, she couldn't really tell.

"Your body," explained the Oracle "is for this life. It cannot follow you into death. To find Will, you must leave your body behind. Then you may go where you please.

"What you are trying to do is very dangerous. Death is not for the living. The further you journey into death, the more difficult your path will become. You will have to make sacrifices of yourself and you must keep your mission at heart. If you falter, you will be lost.

"Are you ready?" asked the Oracle. Irma nodded, the lump in her throat was keeping her from answering.

"Wait," said Taranee, placing a hand on her friends shoulder and causing her to jump. Irma looked more pale than Taranee had ever seen her. Perhaps her friend was only now realizing just what it was she wanted to do. "Why does it have to be Irma." Asked Taranee. "Why can't it be me who goes after Will?"

The Oracle shook his head. "Serenity cut away all ties to Will. So far, only the Water Guardian has forged a bond strong enough to find Will. Even after death they are strongly tied to one another."

Taranee nodded, not really understanding what the Oracle was talking about. Her eyes returned to Irma and briefly, Taranee considered arguing with her friend, coaxing her out of this madness. But Taranee knew that wasn't what Irma needed to hear. Irma was set on this task and no words would keep her from it. Right now, Irma needed encouragement, not denouncement.

"Be safe," said Taranee. "And hurry back." Again, Irma nodded, unable to supply a witty comment.

"On that wall," said the Oracle pointing to a section of wall across from the door they had entered through. Except it wasn't wall at all. It was a great golden archway through which both the mist and brilliant light seemed to emanate. "There is a door that only the dead can use. And you cannot pass through it, unless you are dead."

"That doesn't do me any good," said Irma, speaking at last, her voice dry.

"Or," continued the Oracle, "Unless you are separated from your body. You must project yourself beyond the confines of flesh and bone. You must become ethereal."

"And I do that… how?" asked Irma incredulously. "Is there like a button I push or something?"

"Normally," said the Oracle, his eyes locked on Irma. "Centuries of training are required to perform such an action. Only a small few ever master such skill in a single lifetime." Irma muttered something under her breath.

"However, I should be able to help you," explained the Oracle. "Sit." The Oracle held his hand out towards the ground. With only a slight look of uncertainty Irma sat, cross legged, on the floor. "Once you are free of your body you must go strait through that door, do not linger. Now, let your thoughts focus on the task ahead of you, on your mission, on your goal."

Taranee could suddenly feel Irma's thoughts radiating out of her friend. It was a stronger mental sensation than she had ever felt before. She couldn't just hear Irma's thoughts, she could feel them rushing around her like tangible objects.

The Oracle reached out a hand and pressed it against Irma's forehead. Then he too closed his eyes.

Time seemed to freeze in place. The clouds stopped creeping across the floor. And the air began to move.

Taranee blinked and as she opened her eye's, fire-sight burned before her. Irma was engulfed in aqua flames, while the Oracle danced with silver light. And all around them, watching them, were people.

Except, they weren't people, couldn't be people… at least, not anymore. Taranee wasn't sure what they were, ghost… spirits… souls? Each named seemed more likely than the first… yet, impossible. The disembodied flames stood watching the sight in the middle of the room, and so did Taranee, she couldn't look away.

And then, Irma stood. Or at least her aqua fire stood. Her body remained sitting on the ground, empty of all but the slightest fire of life.

Irma briefly examined herself in wonder, holding out her hands and turning them over as if she had never seen them before. Then she looked at Taranee, and Taranee was sure she could make out a smile in the flames that wrapped around Irma's face.

Then the fire Irma waved goodbye and without hesitation moved towards the door of bright light. The fire people stepped aside to let her pass. And an instant later, she was gone.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**First and foremost, THANK YOU ****XV-Dragon**** and ****Darev**** for reviewing last chapter! It always makes my day to hear (well read) what you guys have to say.**

**Thank you everyone who stopped in to read this chapter! Did you love it? Did you hate it? Did you skip to the end and just read my authors notes? Why not leave a review and let me know!**

**The ANs are sadly short this time. While I tried to impart wisdom or insight, I am lacking on both at the moment. So, until next time.**

**Starwin out.**


	4. E1 P4: Into Haven

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 1: Haven

* * *

Part 4: Into Haven

* * *

All Irma Lair could see was light—bright, white, light. It was everywhere, around her, insider her, in her body and her mind. The light was all she could think about, as if it had burned away the memories of anything before it. Irma could not remember where she had just been, or where she was going. She wasn't even sure if she was moving or standing still.

Irma blinked. It was the first thing she was aware of beyond the light. In the moment her eyes had closed, the light had receded slightly. The recession of the light did not stop when her eyes were open and before long, the white warm light was just a distant glow, burning against the horizon.

Irma took a step forward. Her thoughts seemed to clear and her eyes began to see for what felt like the very first time. For a moment, Irma thought that all she could see was more bright light. But she quickly realized she was looking at clouds. Endless, fluffy white clouds.

The empty blue sky hung above the white world. There was something off about the sky, something Irma couldn't quite place. Her eyes swept across the brilliant blue dome, but whatever was odd about the sky she couldn't figure out.

The white light lingered at the edges of her eyes. And a flash of memory, the first memory she could remember, tumbled through her.

She had been in a room, a room where a red headed girl had been sleeping on a bed of stone. No, that was wrong. She hadn't been sleeping she had been…

The memory slid away as Irma took another step forward. The ground wasn't solid but it obviously wasn't made of clouds, or she would have fallen through it. She tried with all her might to see what her feet were standing on, but she couldn't see through the still white mist that hugged her shins.

Something else was odd, something… about herself. A quick examination revealed no immediate problems. She was all there as near as she could tell. But still, she felt… like something was not quiet right.

Irma took another step forward and her thoughts turned to someone else. To Will. Will had been the girl in that memory. Irma had come here to… to do something about Will… what had the man in the white robes told her? What had he said before she stepped into the light?

The thought began to slide away again but Irma pulled it back with all her might. She had come here to get Will, to bring her back. Will was not sleeping… she was dead. And Irma had crossed into death after her. The Oracle, the man in white, had helped her move beyond the edge of the life, without leaving it. But try as she might Irma couldn't remember how he had done it.

But Irma knew she wasn't dead. She was still very much alive, the beat of her heart, though it felt very far away, told her she was alive. She was in the place only for the dead. But she was alive!

And she had to find Will. And she had to bring her friend back to that life.

Moving with elegance and grace Irma began to run. It was not something she did often. It was not something she enjoyed doing. In fact, running was the complete opposite of enjoyment for Irma. But she wasn't running for herself, she was running to catch up to Will who already had a three day head start.

But it wasn't long before her pace slowed and Irma came to a stop. She wasn't tired, she wasn't even out of breath.

She had stopped because, like usual, she hadn't thought things through. Irma spun around on the spot, her eyes sweeping across the endless clouds. Everything was becoming less dream-like and more real by the minute.

Irma had just realized a critical flaw in her plan. She had no idea where Will was! She had no idea at all on how she was going to find Will!

Everything was the same. There was nothing to indicate which direction Will might have chosen. There were no landmarks for direction. No stars above and no… Irma suddenly realized what had been missing, there was no sun. Yet the sky was bright and blue all the same, as if it were mid day.

Irma continued to turn in circles on the spot at a loss of what to do now. She could very well be running the complete opposite direction from Will and she would never know.

"Come on Will," Irma whispered, "where are you?" But of course there was no reply. Taking a deep breath and picking a direction at random. She was about to take another shot at running when someone spoke.

"You shouldn't go that way," said a calm female voice. It was all Irma could do to keep from tripping and falling flat on her face.

Her balance regained, Irma spun around, searching for the speaker. Doubt clouded her thoughts once again and Irma wondered if she had even heard anything at all. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her.

"You won't find what you're looking for that way," continued the same soft voice. This time Irma was sure she had actually heard words. The voice had come from the direction she was now facing. "You should come this way."

Reason, logic and caution all battled against the urge growing inside Irma. She wanted to follow that voice, but every fiber of her being was telling her not to.

Taking a deep breath, Irma quashed reason, defied logic and tossed away her caution. She began to walk towards the voice. The moment she did so however, clouds around her feet began to stir.

If they had been moving before, Irma hadn't noticed. Now, however, they pulled at her as if a great river was beneath them. Struggling against the current Irma marched on towards the voice that beckoned her.

"Come to me," the voice whispered in her ears. The clouds tugged harder at her feet and the air rushed against her, trying to hold her back.

Irma suddenly noticed that the clouds hugging her shins were no longer white and fluffy but had instead turned dark and menacing.

"Hello?" shouted Irma, battling to make herself heard over the wind. The voice had gone quiet or perhaps it was drown out by the storm that now raged around Irma. "Is someone here?"

The wind that had been holding Irma back suddenly shifted direction. The storm was sucking her in now! The clouds around Irma had begun to spin. Slowly at first but building quickly into a great churning maw.

Irma fought to keep her balance as the clouds and air pulled her body in different directions. The wind was causing her short brown hair to lash against her skin. Her eye stung with the force of the storm.

Faster and faster the dark clouds turned. A tornado like spiral began to rise up from the clouds. It twisted and danced as it sucked in all of the air around it.

Then, as abruptly as it had arisen, the storm died. The pull of the clouds stopped and the tornado faded away.

In its place, a beautiful woman stood smiling down at Irma. The woman's hair was long and colored dark red with a streak of silver that shimmered in the light. Her eyes were a calm blue and her skin was soft and seemed to glow with its own inner light.

"Hello child," said the woman. A strong feeling of déjà vu tugged at Irma. "I am glad my words found you."

"Uh, have we met before?" Irma asked uncertainly. The woman continued to smile. There was something otherworldly about her.

"Yes… and no," replied the woman in an almost incomprehensible Oracl-ish tone.

"Seriously?" said Irma sarcastically. "I go through all this to end up with another person who talks in riddles? Which is it, yes or no?"

"I see that Ori's words frustrate you as much as they did I. The answer would be, no," answered the woman.

"See that wasn't that hard," said Irma with an awkward smile.

"I suppose not, even if it was partly untrue," said the woman thoughtfully.

"Uh… ok?" said Irma with an uncertain shrug.

"Perhaps, an introduction will make things more clear," continued the woman. "My name is Elise but, as before, I do not expect my name to mean anything to you." Irma shrugged apologetically, the woman just smiled. "I am Serenity's mother."

"Woah!" shouted Irma taking a step back and bringing up her hands defensively. "What did you do to Will!" Irma demanded.

"I let her pass," replied Elise. "However, I am here for you Irma Lair."

"Me?" asked Irma, caught off guard. Then Irma's expression tensed and her fists returned to their defensive position. "You're here to stop me."

"I am here to help you," said Elise, her voice still calm and her smile unfaltering. She did not move towards Irma. "And, in a way, help my daughter."

"I knew you were working with Serenity," sneered Irma. Her mind was already trying to conjure up her element, but it didn't seem to be working like she would have expected.

"Your elemental mastery over water won't aid you here," said Elise in a matter-of-fact tone. "Not in Haven."

"I just need a minute to warm up," said Irma, now becoming frustrated with her inability to control her magic. Irma thrust her arms forward trying to command water from the clouds to leap to her aid. But the water, if there was any, stayed where it was. "Work darn it!"

"Haven is the Plane of Air," explained Elise. As she spoke, she rose from the ground, hovering just above the clouds, flying like… Irma shook her head of the person who had conjured in her thoughts. The woman landed softly again. "Although, I doubt you would be able to fly here."

"Hey! Why not?" cried Irma, feeling insulted and letting down her guard.

"You are the embodiment of water," explained Elise. "Water does not fly, it falls." Irma wasn't sure how to respond to this. The woman hadn't said it as a threat nor as an insult, more like a fact. It had been as-if she was explaining that the sky was blue and the sun was yellow. Irma looked up remembering that there was no sun.

"Perhaps you should take a moment to dress yourself," said Elise. Irma was snapped from her musings. For a moment she had completely drifted out of it.

"What?" asked Irma confused. And it was then that Irma finally figured out what had been odd about herself earlier. Automatically her hands covered her bare body. "Hey stop looking at me! And why the heck am I naked! You're not naked!"

The woman almost giggled, which just made Irma's face turn a brighter red.

"You have transcended the boundary of life and death—crossed over the greatest threshold of the soul. You didn't honestly think your worldly possessions would come with you?" said Elise a bemused expression on her face.

"Uh, yeah! I kind of did!" shouted Irma, still embarrassed. Partly by her nudity and party by the fact that it had taken her so long to realize it. This place, it messed with her head, made everything fuzzy. "So, what, is there like a big closet or something around here?"

"Be still a moment," said Elise. Holding out her hand, Elise commanded the clouds to wrap up around Irma. But they did not stay clouds. Quickly cloth wove around her body until she was covered in white robes.

"No." said Irma bluntly examining herself. "Absolutely not. I might not be as fashionable as the fashion queen, but…" Irma's thoughts crashed to a halt. It had been the first time she had thought about Cornelia since she had arrived here. Irma didn't want to remember her, not now, not ever again. "Just… something else…"

Elise did not move but Irma found her clothing had changed. She was dressed like a Guardian in purples and greens, although she remained the same age. Her normally tiny fairy wings had become much larger.

"Your appearance is what you wish it to be," said Elise. "This is the realm of the soul, not the body. Even your human form is a projection of yourself."

"Yeah, whatever," said Irma dismissively, after a brief examination of her new clothing. "I have to find Will. Now, are you going to help me or what?"

"Yes. But first there is someone you need to meet," said Elise. Irma raised an eyebrow. Turning and stepping aside Elise revealed yet another person standing with them. How people kept popping out of the air Irma had no clue. How this particular person had popped out of the air was beyond her entirely!

The other person was… herself!

"But… I… that's… what's going on here?" demanded Irma.

"That is you, the last time you were here," explained Elise. "It is when we met before. Time moves differently here. In life, it is a strait arrow, moving in one direction, start to end. Here it is where it needs to be. There is no concept of past or future."

"I have no idea what you just said," replied Irma shaking her head.

"I can't!" cried the other Irma. "I don't want to see it."

"I remember that," whispered Irma. She had dismissed it as a dream but now that she was watching it she felt like she understood. Stepping forward she moved next to Elise and stared at her past self.

"Please, you have to look, it's very important," said Irma, addressing the girl that was once her. The frightened girl standing across from her looked up suddenly, her eyes filled with surprise and… fear?

"What is this?" the other Irma demanded, pointing at Irma.

"I'm you, a future, you," replied Irma. This was so strange, talking to herself, her past self. And she could remember it, distantly. The words flowed from her mouth like they had been practiced over and over. "Don't ask me to explain. My head hurts just thinking about it. Besides, I'm not sure I really understand it anyhow. You have to go back—our friends can't do this without you."

"You aren't dead, but you will be, if you linger here much longer," Elise said speaking to the Irma past.

"And how exactly do I get back?" asked the other Irma. "Click my heels together and say there's no place like being alive?"

"The Heartstring connecting your body and soul has not been broken yet," said Elise, pointing at the golden thread winding its way out of the other Irma's chest. "All you have to do is follow it home."

This was it, her past self was about to go back to Kandrakar. Irma had to tell her, had to fix this!

"And Irma," Irma said. "You have to stop Cornelia. You can't let her kill Will!" but the past Irma did not respond. Instead she tumbled through the clouds, vanishing as if she had never been.

"I don't remember that part," whispered Irma sadly. "If only I had remembered! I could have fixed all of this. I could have stopped Cornelia! I could have saved Will! I could have…" Irma was shouting now, her voice trembling with frustration and loss.

For the first time Elise touched Irma, gently resting a soft hand on her shoulder. Irma's voice trailed off and she looked at the red and silver haired woman who stood beside her. There was something in her eyes, something familiar and comforting.

"This was always meant to be," explained Elise gently. "Don't punish yourself for events you could not have changed." The sadness hiding in Irma's eyes told the older woman that she did not understand.

"But I can change it!" shouted Irma defiantly, pulling away from the older woman and wiping the tears from her face. "I can bring Will back! I can set things right!"

"Irma," said Elise softly, and her expression became more serious. "You understand what you are trying to do, don't you? The task ahead of you is not easy. You will need to make sacrifices of yourself. You will have to give up things you hold dear." Irma nodded.

"Death is not the end," explained Elise. "But returning life to those who have died goes against the nature of our existence. All things have their time. All people, their moment. Even the universe is not forever."

"I know," whispered Irma. "But I should have protected Will. I should have saved her!" Elise tried to speak, but Irma cut her off. "I have to do this. It's my choice." Elise nodded a smile on her lips.

"I understand," said Elise. "Out of all her friends and family her bond is strongest with you."

"Why?" asked Irma suddenly. "Why me?" For a moment Irma thought that the older woman would not answer her, but at last Elise spoke.

"Serenity cut away every tie Will had to her life," explained Elise solemnly. "Her friends, her family, even her memories and the memories of those who would remember her." Elise paused and Irma waited for her answer. "Will did not come back whole. She was broken in a way that time alone cannot mend."

Irma said nothing.

"Is it not obvious why her heart chose you to heal its wounds?" asked Elise. Irma shook her head slightly. "Out of love, dear child. Your love for her radiates from you. Its power is so strong that I can feel it even now.

"The others girls do not understand—cannot understand," continued Elise. "They accept her. They tolerate her. But they do not love her still, after what was done to her."

Irma felt a swelling in her throat. Memories of the last month were tumbling through her head. She remembered how the others acted around Will. Like the only thing they wanted to do was get away from her.

"But you accepted her for what she was," explained Elise, her words pulling Irma out of her memories. "You knew she was broken, but it did not matter to you. You stayed by her side while everyone else turned their backs.

"So her attachments, that should have reformed with all her everyone she had lost, instead focused on you," said Elise. "You share a heartstring with Will Vandom. And it seems you are the only person she now shares such a bond with."

"Can I use that bond to find Will?" asked Irma, her voice barely audible.

"Yes," replied Elise. "You can follow the heartstring that connects you and Will." As Elise spoke Irma saw a shimmer of golden thread shift into existence. The string trail off into the distance, far beyond what her eyes could see.

One end of the thread was connected to Irma's heart. And for the briefest of moments, Irma could feel Will on the distant end of it. But in a moment more the heartstring vanished. The confusion on Irma's brow deepened.

"How do I follow it if I can't see it!" cried Irma indignantly.

"Seeing it would not make your task any easier," said Elise. "Love is not a bond you can see. You feel it, with every fiber of your being. You know it with every thought. There is an expression you might be familiar with. Follow your heart."

"I think I understand," said Irma.

Elise gazed into the sky, her eyes searching for an invisible sun. Automatically, Irma looked too, for a moment there was nothing but endless blue sky above her. Suddenly a comet, made of golden light, blasted from the clouds, rushing into the blue sky. It raced higher and higher unit it vanished with a twinkle.

"It is time for you to go," said Elise, not lowering her gaze to Irma. "Your journey has only just begun. You must hurry if you are to have any chance of catching Will."

"You're not coming with?" Irma asked. It hadn't been her intent to ask but the words had just kind of slipped out. She hadn't really expected this person to come along with her, but the thought of continuing alone made Irma feel uneasy. This world was strange and Irma could hardly wrap her head around it.

Elise smiled gently seeming to know what Irma was thinking.

"This is your journey," said Elise. "I can only point you in the right direction you must travel your own path. But you are not alone, Irma Lair." The woman took a step away, her features became blurry. Instinctively Irma moved after her, but she did not get any closer. In fact, Elise seemed to get further away, her form becoming even less distinct, until at last, she was gone, and Irma, was alone.

* * *

The endless blanket of clouds stretched without end. The dark storm had vanished completely as if it had never been. Each step Irma took seemed pointless. She was not moving towards anything. In fact she hardly seemed to be moving at all. Everything looked the same, stupid white clouds in every direction!

Holding her hand up to shield her eyes Irma glanced up at the sky again. There was still no sun above her, but even so, it was unpleasantly bright when Irma looked up. As long as she watched the clouds she was ok. But the moment she gazed upwards the sky became brighter and stung her eyes.

Irma looked down again, unable to stare into the empty bright blue.

Her thoughts retraced her steps trying to remember where she had been and where she was going. It was more difficult to do than she would have liked. Her memories felt all tumbled up in her head. Like some endless sea of clouds.

She had to keep walking. To follow… something. But what? How long had she been walking? Hours? Days? Weeks? Time hardly had any meaning in a place with no sun.

Tired, Irma came to a halt. For a moment Irma considered sitting and resting. She wanted so badly to stop here for just a little while before she continued on. Yes, that would be fine, it would just be a minute and then she would move on.

But as Irma moved to sit someone bumped into her—someone who hadn't been there a moment ago.

Acting on reflex, Irma pulled away, her gaze searching for the person who had collided with her. But what Irma saw was not a person. A ghost maybe? That was closer, but somehow, not quite right. Irma didn't think "ghost" really described what she was seeing.

The person seemed to be made of glass and bent the world around its form. Inside its glass body, where its Heart should have been was a small fire that burned with red flames. It waded slowly through the clouds, not even noticing that it had bumped into Irma.

Gradually Irma became aware that she was not watching just one… thing… but many of them. They moved slowly, purposefully, all in the same direction. None of them even glanced at Irma as they moved past her.

"Excuse me," Irma asked trying to catch the attention of one of the glass people. For a moment its eyes fixed on her. They were empty and saw her without sight. Then the glass person's eyes slid away and the thing moved silently around Irma, without touching her.

"Hey!" cried Irma, feeling annoyance. Reflexively she reached out a hand to grab the being, but as her fingers brushed against it she felt a terrible sting. She pulled away quickly, clutching her hand to her chest—her whole arm had gone numb.

To her horror, Irma discovered that her fingers had gone slightly transparent. But after a moment they became solid again, and the tingling feeling had subsided completely.

Looking past them, Irma tried to figure out where they were all coming from. In the distance, the group seemed to thin out. But weather they were popping into existence or had always been there, Irma couldn't tell.

Turning around Irma watched to see where they were going, because, they were all going somewhere. They all moved in the same direction as though converging towards the same spot.

But she couldn't make out where that was either. The only way she would find out was to go with them, to follow them. With hesitant steps Irma moved with the crowd.

Where were they going? Where was she going? Her thoughts had become hazy again. She just knew she had to keep following the pretty flames.

A flare of light illuminated the sky ahead of her. Looking up again she had to shield her eyes as a ball of fire raced into the blue. The glass people around her paused as well, watching the comet as it sped into the sky.

She had seen something like that before. What was it? A shooting star? But it was going the wrong way. Didn't shooting stars fall towards the Earth? Irma suddenly realized something. She wasn't on the Earth. She was standing in clouds and what she was looking at wasn't sky it was…

The clouds suddenly shook and Irma nearly lost her balance. Worse, her hand had clutched one of the glass people for support, before she could stop herself. Pain burned in Irma's fingers. Pain that quickly spread across her body!

Irma tried to let go, but she couldn't her hand was frozen. Then the glass person she had grabbed begun to wail in agony. Its body started to vibrate and with a sickening crack the person shattered, its feeble flame burning away into the sky.

With a painful thud, Irma crashed to the ground. She could hardly move. Her whole arm burned like thousands of bees had stung it.

Clutching her injured arm, Irma sat up. The glass people where moving away from her. Looks of horror on their transparent features.

"I'm sorry!" Irma pleaded, trying to make them understand it had been an accident.

The clouds around Irma rippled in a way that only water should be able to do. Quickly, Irma tried to get to her feet. But, before she could, the clouds tore open in a great rift around her, pulling away from Irma and leaving her stranded on a small circle.

The brilliant blue sky loomed above her. But below her… below her was the vast expanse of the universe. Not just stars in the sky, but the whole universe. It was like she was standing on the underside of clouds looking up into universe below her.

She knew if she stepped off the cloud she would fall into the endless universe and be lost forever. There was no choice now but to stay still and see what happened.

A powerful wind crashed into her, wrapping itself around Irma holding her in a tight grip. Irma had to close her eyes as she struggled against the force trying to push her off the small circle of clouds and back into the universe below. Not up into the blue sky, that Irma was sure wasn't a sky anymore.

"You do not belong!" hissed the wind. Irma forced her eyes open against the stinging blasts of air. She could barely make out the shape of a person standing in front of her. For a moment Irma thought the person might be Hay Lin, but the assumption quickly passed.

It was not Hay Lin. It was not even a person. The thing had only looked like a person for a moment, but it was changing shape so fast now. And Irma suddenly realized what she was seeing, although she had no idea how she knew, she was seeing an element, she was seeing Air.

"Stop!" cried Irma as Air pushed her closer to the edge. "Please stop! I have to find my friend!"

"And why should I stop?" asked Air. "This is the place for the dead. It is not for those who are only pretending."

"I'm not pretending," shouted Irma. "I'm a Guardian, the Guardian of Water, and I have to find my friend!" the push of Air became less intense but did not release Irma fully.

"I have always been friends with Water," said Air. "I will hear you out, before I send you back." And at last Air released Irma.

"Thanks," said Irma a little out of breath and her arm still in a good deal of pain. "I'm…" but words failed her as she finally saw Air for the first time.

Air had not been changing shape as Irma first thought. It was flying, undulating through the sky. Air was a dragon, a great pearl white dragon whose body extended out to the distant horizon. Its face hovered only feet away from Irma, its massive jaws easily able to swallow her whole if it so decided. And in its eye sockets were great golden orbs that glowed like suns.

"Speak little Guardian," said Air, its voice soft, like a whisper upon the wind.

"I'm looking for Will Vandom," continued Irma. "She is the Guardian of Energy… she was… until… until someone took her life. I've come to bring her back."

"Impossible," said Air and with blinding speed it had encircled Irma with its massive body. All Irma could see were white scales and the massive head with its yellow sun-like eyes glaring down at her. "Those who cross into death must remain. They cannot go back…

"And I will not permit you to go any further little Guardian," said Air as its massive coils began constricting, forcing Irma to move to the very edge of her clouds circle. "Unless you have something to offer me."

'Offer?' thought Irma, glancing behind her at the infinite universe. Elise had said she would need to make sacrifices of herself. But what did she have to offer? She didn't have any money with her, although that seemed like a silly thing to offer.

"What… what can I give you?" asked Irma uncertainly. The coils stopped and Air's eye's narrowed. It was like the thing was looking right through her and Irma was sure it's next movement would be to eat her whole.

"I want the words unspoken on your breath. I want your name." said Air. Irma blinked confused.

"My name?" asked Irma not understanding.

"Speak it," said Air. "All of it."

"Uh, ok," said Irma completely confused, "Irma Anna Lair." But as she spoke the words a strange feeling pulled at her, like they were being taken out of her mouth, out of her lungs, out of her soul.

"It is done," whispered Air. The gap in the clouds closed, sealing away the stary universe below, then the coils retracted so that the blue sky was visible once more. Light suddenly burned around the Water Guardian's feet. The light wrapped around her and with incredible force she was launched into the blue sky, just like all the other shooting stars she had seen.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**A huge thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review last chapter!** Geminia**,** DayDreamer9 **(and also chapters 1 and 2!),** XV-Dragon**,** Darev **and** Lexvan**! Thank you** **all from the bottom of my cold-black-heart for leaving me such inspiring words!**

**A big thank you to all of my readers who came back for chapter 4! **

**Wow. Four. Where to begin with the notes on this… This is the first chapter I envisioned when I started thinking about this story. It remains a core element of what this whole story is about. I've gone through many iterations (like everything else I write) but has only changed slightly from its original concept.**

**For anyone who remembers, part of this chapter takes place way back in story 1 (Unmaking the World) in Episode 7 Part 3. **

**And now, we've reached the end of episode 1! There will be a slight break of 1 month… no, no, I'm only joking… 4 months… (insert evil grin). Alright, I'm just having fun with you, the next chapter will post on the normal schedule, so I'll see you on boxing day, (dec 26****th****, the day after xmas) with the start of a new episode.**

**But before I go, here is a quick preview of what is in store for the next installment!**

"…**the…" it might be a little out of context, but I think you should have a good idea of where we're going next! (insert second evil grin).**

**Thank you everyone for taking the time to continue reading my story. Reviews are much appreciated, I'm always interested to hear what readers have to say!**

**Starwin out.**


	5. E2 P1: How Meridian Fell

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 2: Refuge

* * *

Part 1: How Meridian Fell

* * *

The world went on forever, in all directions, stretching out to the horizon—past the horizon, on and on until even on was not far enough. It was the world of dreams, where the edges of reality blurred into the mists of the mind. It was a place to escape the horrors of the waking. It was the place where the girl named Hay Lin existed.

She had once been a person but now she was a distant thought—a forgotten memory—buried inside a prison of metal. The Dragon Knight was a living cage that carried her along on its terrible deeds. It obeyed its orders without question and the girl trapped inside could do nothing but watch.

But, when the monster wasn't looking, she could slip away. Not to freedom, but to a refuge of sorts. A place where there was nothing except what she wanted. And right now, she desired a beautiful world, a place where there were no boundaries, where she could be free.

Tall, waist-high grass swayed slightly in the wind, moving like a great ocean and glinting under the warm sunlight. Hay Lin moved through the grass, dancing with the wind as it wrapped around her and comforted her. This was her world, this was what she wanted.

Above her the friendly blue sky, with its shimming sun, smiled down upon her. Its warmth was the most pleasant sensation she had ever felt. Everything was perfect. This was exactly how things should be. How they should stay.

Because if she went back to the other world, the real world, it would all start to slip away. Her friends, her family, even who she was. They were all taken away when she stopped dancing, when she let the metal monster entrap her. But in the sunlight, so bright above her, there were no monsters.

So she did not stop dancing. She moved and played with the wind, letting it hold her as if it had arms, like it was some tangible being. She would stay here forever. She never wanted to go back. Even if this place wasn't real, even if she knew it wasn't real, it didn't matter! The fate that waited for her return was a terrible one.

Except, it wasn't up to her. Even as Hay Lin wished she could stay in this sun filled world, a distant sound made her shiver. It was a summons. A summons for her. She was being called back from this dream into the harsh nightmare that awaited her.

The wind died abruptly. A terrible chill raced across her skin. Hay Lin stopped dancing. Her body had begun to tremble uncontrollably. She knew what was coming, she knew what was about to happen. However, knowing did her little good, she could not stop it.

"No, no, no," Hay Lin whispered as she hugged herself tightly. "Not again. I don't want to go back… I don't want…"

A low rumble, like the growl of some great unseen beast in the night, shook the world. The tall green grass wilted before crumbling to dust around her. The ground beneath her feet became hard and cold as ice.

With a final dieing burst of light, the sun winked out of existence. The friendly blue sky filled with intimidating, starless, darkness. And the boundless edges of the world began to close in upon her, until she was surrounded by black stone walls.

The girl was no longer in an open field or under the beautiful sun. Instead, she was in a hallway of frozen marble. The cruel reality around her had returned, forcing her from dreams of escape.

Here she was not free to dance. She was not free to remember. She was not free to do anything except obey the commands of her former friend, Cornelia.

As the metal monster closed around Hay Lin, the girl forgot her name. Distantly she was aware of what was going on, although she could do nothing to affect it. The only thing she seemed to be able to do was hide in her dream world. And every time she went there, a little part of her felt like it came back with her. But it was like taking one grain of sand at a time to make a beach.

Even still, she no longer vanished completely inside the silver shell of the monster she had become. While she still could not influence it, she was not completely blind to its actions.

At the moment, the monster was being summoned to Cornelia's chambers. Where the monster had been before now, the girl did not know.

Cornelia had been sending her dragons out on missions. They had been scattered across the reaches of the universe. Each one sent to assist minions who'd been failing to recover the Hearts of the distant worlds. It was during these times that the girl inside the silver dragon was able to escape its hold and slip away into her dream world.

However, now that she was back in Rakadin, there was no escape. She would be forced to watch for as long as she was here. Helpless to act. Helpless to stop Cornelia.

The doors in front of the beast swung open as she walked through the archway on all fours. Her long serpent body undulated as it moved. The claws of her metal feet clicked against the stone ground. It was strange, she could feel her hands and feet, as if they were normal hands and feet, but they were claws—razor sharp, deadly, claws.

The darkness of the room rolled away from her as she moved deeper into its depths, almost like the shadows were alive. This room had once been large and open, but it was no longer that way. Vines now hung from the ceiling, creating a damp jungle indoors. The room began to glow with an eerie blue light that emanated from the vines as if they sensed her presence.

The ground was not marble anymore. It was now a mesh of plant roots and mud. Much of Rakadin had become like this room. The vines Cornelia had unleashed on the fortress were not content to stay in one spot. They had continued to spread and consume the dark kingdom.

Muttering came from deep within the room, at its darkest part—where the glow from the vines did not reach. A person, who was talking to herself, was almost invisible against the shadows, except for her hair. Glowing, in some unseen light, the girl's long silver hair shimmered as she paced back and forth.

The monster moved closer on silent steps and so did the girl inside it. Some of the whispered words floated through the air and the Dragon Knight heard them. And the girl trapped inside the Dragon Knight heard them. The sounds were oddly distant and unfamiliar in her ears.

"…it must be done, even if I don't want to, it must be done… and I must do it. After Meridian falls, that is when this world must surrender to me. After Meridian is done. After Elyon is de…" The words stopped abruptly. The silver haired girl's eyes saw her Dragon's form moving towards her and a cold smile crossed her lips.

"You have taken the Heart of Sevanna?" asked Cornelia, her smile unable to bring life to her ice blue eyes. The girl inside the dragon felt her mouth open and from her jaws the intense light of a world escaped. It tried to flee. But Cornelia stopped it with a gesture.

The light shivered in the air as she held it fast on invisible strands of magic. Then, as she closed her fist Cornelia reeled in the light, pulling it towards her. The girl in the dragon watched, just like she had done hundreds of times already. She hoped, just like she had every single time, that the light would get free.

But it did not. They never escaped.

The small whirling light settled in Cornelia's palm. She looked down upon it.

"Your world was most resistant," whispered Cornelia to the trembling light. "Your keeper did not want to part with you. But in the end, he had no choice." The light suddenly burst from Cornelia's hand with blinding speed, making one final dash for freedom.

The girl inside the dragon felt her body leap into the air. She raced with terrible speed, cutting off the escape of the Heart of Sevanna. It tried to evade, but the Dragon Knight blocked it at every turn.

A cold, piercing laugh echoed through the chamber.

"I have taken more than a hundred Hearts," said Cornelia, her focus directed at the stolen Heart. Then her eyes narrowed and a sneer crossed her face. "And you are mine now."

The blue gem around Cornelia's neck lashed out with tendrils of lightning, ensnaring the Heart of Sevanna and drawing it in. In an instant the stolen Heart had been absorbed. The room sunk once more into cold blue darkness.

For a moment, Cornelia's breathing was uneven. Her face was strained and pale. The eyes that had been distant for so long seemed to find focus for an instant, and then she regained her composure. She beconned down her Dragon Knight, and it came.

Delicately, Cornelia plucked something out of a nearby budding flower. It was a small spiral spike made from stone so dark that it seemed even light could not escape it. Cornelia held out the pointed black object to the silver dragon. The dragon's cold blue eyes masked the brown ones of the girl hidden within the silver prison.

"Take this to Phobos," Cornelia ordered. The dragons jaws closed around the spiral stone, just before blue fire burned the dragon away, carrying it across the stars to the world of Metamoor, and its capital city of Meridian.

* * *

In the distance the sun burned away against the edge of Metamoor. A great shadow crept along the landscape, edging ever closer to the city of Meridian. And watching, and waiting, and hovering over the city, standing on the wind, his cruel eyes fixed on the town below, was Phobos.

This would be the final night for Meridian, when the sun would shine upon it again, the city would lay in ruins, its people enslaved and its queen dead. This night, in the darkness, Phobos would cast fire down from the sky. He would burn the city to the ground, he would make its people suffer. And then they would fear him once more.

With a last lingering brilliance, the sun vanished. Only the lamp lights of the houses betrayed the presence of a city below.

Slowly, deliberately, Phobos raised his hand. Blue fire burned in his palm and then he cast his magics down upon the town below.

* * *

Intense fire burned outside the windows of the castle that stood at the center of Meridian. One of the many windows that reflected the unnatural fire was the room of the Queen. However, she was not in her room to see it. She already knew of the fire that was spreading across her city. She knew of the cause too. And both those reasons now kept her from her bed.

She was Elyon Brown, Queen of Metamoor and keeper of the Heart of her world. Smuggled to Earth when she was a child, Elyon had escaped the wrath of her tyrant brother. With the help of the Guardians they had stopped her brother for good… or so they had thought.

Elyon knew what, or rather who, was responsible for this attack. It was the same kind of fire that had been reported in villages all over the country. It was the unquenchable fire that water would not extinguish. Magical fire, made by dark and powerful evil and set upon them by her elder brother, former tyrant of Metamoor, Phobos.

He had escaped Kandrakar. He had gained new found power. He had come back for revenge and for his kingdom.

Several times Elyon had sent word to Kandrakar, pleading for help. But Kandrakar had remained silent. Not even her friends, the Guardians, had responded to her calls.

And now, Phobos was here, in the capital city. If she did nothing, people would die. Lots of people would die! She would have to fight Phobos herself. There was no one else who could stand up against that kind of magic. She wasn't even sure she could fight such power but she had to try.

More than anything else, Elyon wanted to help, wanted to be out there stopping her brother. But at this moment, Elyon was not fighting Phobos, she was not even outside. She was arguing.

It wasn't something a queen usually had to do. As ruler of Metamoor her word was law. But the person who was holding her back wasn't just any person, it was her husband, Caleb.

It had been a week since they had been married. It should have been the happiest time of their lives but instead, they had hardly seen one another. Attacks had been coming daily and Elyon could not sit by while her kingdom was under siege.

And this time, it seemed the Caleb would not stay behind either. Badly injured and walking against the healers' orders, Caleb limped alongside his Queen as she marched determinately forward. The last time they had gone toe to toe with Phobos, on their wedding day no less, Caleb had nearly died.

The black poison that had infested his body was slowly spreading and the healers had been unable to stop it. Walking was a challenge for him, but Caleb's determination to not let the woman he loved go by herself was stronger than any pain.

"Elyon just stop and think about what you're doing!" pleaded Caleb. He wasn't near enough to grab her arm, or he would have. "Phobos is a lot stronger than he has ever been before! You can't fight him alone!"

"And what choice do I have?" asked Elyon, not looking back. "Should I let him burn the city to the ground before I act? Should I run away? Should I hide?" Caleb didn't answer.

"He won't stop until we make him stop, Caleb," said Elyon. She halted so suddenly that Caleb nearly crashed into her. "Kandrakar has abandon us, so there is no other choice."

Elyon turned to her husband who was leaning against a wall, hardly able to stand. His expression changed from fierce determination to sadness as she moved to hold him.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," she whispered. "I'll stop Phobos, I'll find a way."

Caleb tried to say something but his words were too weak.

"Get him back to bed," said Elyon to the aid who had been trailing a short distance away. Elyon knew what the words unspoken had been. He had told her to come back to him alive.

* * *

Phobos' hand lashed out and flames poured from his fingers down onto the town below. Much to his delight, screams of terror echoed up from the people as they fled. In the glow of the fire, the sadistic smile on Phobos' face was visible for a brief moment.

This was the most fun he'd ever had. There couldn't be anything better than this.

A blast of powerful energy cracked through the air with just enough warning for Phobos to evade it. He was wrong, so very wrong, there was something better, and she had just arrived.

Flying level with him was the Queen of Metamoor, her blue and green robes dancing in the wind. Bright white energy burned the air around her creating a protective magical shield. Her glowing white eyes glared menacingly at Phobos.

"I was wondering if you were coming," taunted Phobos with insane delight. "You've let me kill quite a lot of people. Were you hoping I would tire of slaughtering them?"

"Shut up," Elyon replied coldly. Not giving Phobos a chance to respond she shot another spell at him. Mad laughter escaped from his lips as Phobos evaded the whirling magic with ease. Elyon did not let up, she fired blast after blast at Phobos, but he was too fast.

Focusing intently she unleashed multiple spells, firing them in every direction. The great beams of energy arched and twisted in the air so that they approached Phobos from all angles. There would be no way for him to dodge them all. He didn't move.

To her horror the attack did not strike Phobos. The energy bent around him, as though unable to touch him. Then, holding out his hand, Phobos commanded Elyon's magical attack to settle there and it did. He held the energy in his palm, unscathed by its intensity. A snarl crossed his lips as he threw the ball of energy back at Elyon, blue fire intermixing with her pure light.

Elyon started to fly away, but the energy chased her. Explosions rocked the air as Phobos began shooting new attacks at her while the death ball rolled across the sky, feet away from her heals.

The air in front of Elyon rippled and twisted. There was just enough time for Elyon to realize what she was seeing. A fold was opening, directly in her path.

Elyon felt her body strain as she pulled up hard, her toes just missing the edge of the newly opened rift. But the massive energy ball was far less maneuverable. It whizzed into the fold before the magical gap closed behind it.

Both Elyon and Phobos looked for the person who had created the fold, but it was impossible to spot anyone against the intensity of the fires below. Only someone with a Heart could create folds like the one they had just seen. And Elyon was sure Phobos was thinking the same thing as her, the Guardians were here some place.

Suddenly a lash of bright red flame erupted form the rooftop of one of the buildings. It struck Phobos, and while he managed to deflect it, his expression betrayed uncontrollable anger at the surprise attack.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Elyon attacked Phobos again. The blast hit him full on and Phobos toppled out of the sky, falling like a stone. Elyon watched, mixed feelings battling in her brain.

Her brother was evil, but he was her brother, she couldn't let him die, she couldn't kill him. But before she could make the decision, something long and silver cut through the air, catching Phobos mid fall.

Elyon made to pursue the thing that had grabbed Phobos. But whatever it was, it was fast. Faster than Elyon, fast like the wind. In a moment more the beast had vanished into the distance, with Phobos in its claws.

Unable to go after her brother, Elyon flew down to the place where the red fire had come from. The blue flames were being extinguished as red fire engulfed them. Before she reached the spot, Elyon knew who was on top of the building, putting out the flames.

With a running landing Elyon crashed into a hug around Taranee—who stopped her fire making just in time to catch Elyon.

"You came!" Elyon cried. "I thought Kandrakar had abandon us." Taranee returned the hug although somewhat half-heartedly.

"I'd never abandon you," said Taranee, although her smile did not reach her unseeing eyes. "We're just a little overwhelmed at the moment, and badly understaffed."

As Elyon pulled away from her friend she noticed the gem that hung around Taranee's neck, the Heart of Kandrakar. Taranee, sensing her friend's eyes linger on the gem gave her less then comforting words.

"It's a… difficult story," said Taranee. "I'll explain what's happened after we put out the rest of the fires."

* * *

'I saved Phobos!' thought the girl inside the dragon as she watched the motionless body laying before her. 'I saved him!' They were not words of triumph.

She had rescued one of their most terrible enemies. But at least she hadn't attacked either the girl on the rooftop or the person in the sky… she couldn't recall their names.

But, what terrified her even more than what she had done, was the fact that she could remember it. She had never once seen through the eyes of the beast while it was outside of the dark kingdom.

She had left Rakadin but she hadn't been able to escape into her dream world. She was trapped here. Forced to watch whatever terrible deeds the Dragon Knight had in store.

Phobos awoke with a grown. The dragon's eyes focused in on him. There was terror in his eyes as his hands slid along the stone ground. Perhaps he thought himself captured and in a dungeon, or worse, in Rakadin, before Cornelia.

With a grunt of pain and a shiver, he pushed himself up. The anger on his face burned the pain and cold away. His eyes searched the area, while his brain tried to figure out where he was and how he had gotten here.

His gaze stopped on the dragon who was watching him from a perch on a rock above. The girl trapped inside felt just as frightened as Phobos looked. All she wanted was for it to all go away, she wanted to escape back into her dream world, but she could not.

Moving slowly over the edge of the rock the dragon slithered down towards Phobos, who backed away, sliding along the ground, fear on his face.

"What are you?" asked Phobos' unsteady voice. The dragon continued to move towards him, but it did not speak. "Who sent you!" demanded Phobos.

The girl felt her mouth begin to open. With all her might she tried to keep it closed. She did not want to give Cornelia's gift to this evil man. She did not want him to have it! She did not want him to use it!

But her efforts were fruitless and the girl felt the dragon's mouth open. The small black spiral stone leapt from her tongue into Phobos' hands. His expression flickered between surprised and uncertainty. But, as the rock touched Phobos' skin, his eyes clouded over in black shadows.

"I can take her Heart," said Phobos, his eyes slowly returning to normal as they focused on the stone in his hand. "With this stone I can steal the Heart of Metamoor from her." His fingers closed around it greedily and a dark smile crossed his lips. "With this, I can kill her and take it for myself!"

* * *

"I can't believe it," whispered Elyon, her voice choked. Taranee had been recounting the events of what had happened after they had left Meridian. It was the first time Taranee had talked about it with anyone. "Will… is dead… and Cornelia, she really, she… she…"

"Yes," said Taranee, her face was sullen and worn with pain. "We can't return to Earth either, because apparently, Cornelia has found a way to block all magical travel.

"So, now it's just me," explained Taranee a note of sadness in her voice. "I'm the only one left to defend the universe."

"What do you mean, 'just you?'" asked Elyon.

"The Oracle thinks the only shot we have is to bring Will back," said Taranee, her tone disapproving. "So ---- has gone after…" Taranee came to a stop, her hand reflexively coming to her throat.

"Taranee?" Elyon asked, concern on her face. "What's wrong?"

"I just said ---- but…" Taranee's eyes betrayed her panic. "I can't say ---- name!"

"Who's name?" asked Elyon.

"---- name!" Taranee tried. "…the Water Guardian. When I try, it's like the words are being snatched out of my mouth."

"You mean you can't say ---- name?" asked Elyon, and her face too went wide with surprise. "Now I can't say it either!"

"It's like her name is gone…" mused Taranee to herself. A thought struck her. "Elyon, do you know anyone with the same name?"

"The same name as ----?" asked Elyon. "That is so weird. Uh. Yes! There's an Irma who lives in a village not far from here. Hey, I said her name!"

"No," replied Taranee thoughtfully. "You said someone else's name. This is bad. I have to get back to Kandrakar. And you should come with me!" Elyon looked surprised at the suggestion but Taranee continued before her friend could argue.

"It isn't safe here! Every world is under assault. I can hardly keep up. Every time I get back to Kandrakar, there is another world in danger of losing its Heart."

"What!" cried Elyon coming to a stop. "What do you mean 'losing its Heart'?"

"Cornelia has found a way to steal them," explained Taranee simply. "She can take them from keepers…"

"But you can't steal a Heart!" protested Elyon, clutching her own chest protectively. "By their very nature a Heart must be given!" Taranee shrugged.

"I didn't think so either, but all the same, Cornelia's found a way to do it," said Taranee. "I've seen many worlds fall already. And I'm always too late to stop it…" Taranee looked like she didn't want to say the next words. "The trauma of losing a Heart… it kills the keeper." There was silence for a moment but finally, Elyon asked the question burning inside her.

"How did you know Meridian was under attack?" asked Elyon quietly.

"I've been listening to the universe," answered Taranee. "The Heart of Kandrakar amped up my telepathy. But there are so many worlds in danger! I can only get to the worlds that need me the most. And even getting there in time has been almost impossible. You've been the first to hold off your attacker long enough for me to get here."

"Well you arrived just in time!" said Elyon with a forced smile. Taranee did not return the gesture, she still looked sullen.

"Just because we stopped him once, doesn't mean he's going to give up," said Taranee. "He'll be back. And this time he'll have Hay Lin on his side."

Elyon looked confused. "Why would Hay Lin ever help Phobos?"

"I said Hay Lin was captured by Cornelia," answered Taranee hesitantly. "But that's not exactly right. Cornelia changed her, enslaved her. She turned Hay Lin into that metal monster that saved Phobos. Cornelia turned her against us."

"I still can't believe…" began Elyon but her words were lost as a sound like thunder echoed from the sky. Magical fire poured down on Taranee and Elyon. Reflexively a magical shield snapped into place stopping the intense blast.

"Hello again dear sister!" sneered Phobos. He was hovering above them a smug look on his face. Hay Lin was nowhere in sight.

With cat like grace Phobos leapt out of the air as if he had been standing on an invisible ledge. He landed gently on the ground. But Taranee's eyes were still searching the sky, where was Hay Lin. Had she come and gone?

Realization suddenly struck Taranee, Phobos had been standing in the air, standing, not flying! Quickly she ignited her fire-sight.

Phobos burned with gray-black flames, but she was not interested in him. Hovering above the gray fire, invisible to everyone but her, was the outline of a long dragon. Its body burned with intense blue fire, but inside it, as though she had been swallowed whole, was the weak pearl flames of a girl, of Hay Lin!

The air churned before racing at Taranee. She tried to dodge, but she wasn't fast enough. Metal scaled coils wrapped their way around Taranee, binding her arms and legs tight! She was held prisoner while Phobos' magic assaulted his younger sister.

For the moment Elyon's protective barrier was holding, but how much longer she could withstand Phobos' magic Taranee had no idea.

"Fight me all you want, little sister," said Phobos as he increased the intensity of his magical attack. Elyon's face became strained under the assault. "But you won't win this time. I have a present from my Empress." Phobos opened his clenched fist. In it was a black spiral stone.

The moment he let it go the stone came to life. It hovered just above Phobos palm, spinning rapidly. A high pitched wailing echoed through the air as the stone drew in magic in long blue ribbons. Then, like a bullet it shot forward into Elyon's shield.

The stone continued to spin with blinding speed. It pressed upon the magical barrier like a drill, boring its way through the powerful protection spell. Phobos laughed mirthlessly. There was worry and fear on Elyon's face as the stone pierced the shield with relative ease.

"No!" screamed Taranee. "Stop it!"

The shield shattered with a deafening boom that shook the very ground. The dome of energy collapsed, breaking into thousands of tiny glowing shards. The small black spiral smashed into Elyon's chest tearing open a great gap in her body.

Taranee was not sure what she was seeing. The massive hole that had been cut into Elyon was not filled with blood and bone, but with intense light. And at the center of the light was the Heart of Metamoor.

The spiral stone hung in front of Elyon, not touching her skin, but holding her chest open all the same. Taranee screamed in frustration and Phobos laughed with insane glee.

He opened his mouth to gloat over his dieing sister. But there would be no gloating for Phobos. The black spiral stone was not done. A beam of blue energy shot out the back of the stone, so that it appeared to be a spear, made of light. The energy struck Phobos, burning right through him.

Phobos screamed as his own life force was turned into fuel for the stone. The beams color changed from blue to red. Taranee had never heard such a terrible sound as the one Phobos was making. But she did not have to endure it for long. In mere seconds Phobos' flesh grayed and turned to dust, cascading off his bones. Before he even hit the stone street, there was nothing left of him.

The energy stopped, and the street was silent save for a quiet hum. The stone continued to float in front of Elyon, holding her body captive. Then Elyon screamed as the light of Meridian was torn from her body and sucked into the spiral stone.

Taranee struggled, fire burning at her hands, before spreading over her body. But the dragon did not release her. All Taranee could do was watch helplessly.

Taranee could see Elyon's white light of life flicker in her fire-sight. It was the same flicker she had seen in Will when Taranee had held her friend dieing in her arms. She was so close, but she could do nothing!

Then, without warning, Hay Lin released her. Caught off guard, Taranee collapsed to her knees.

The Dragon shot forward, its claws snatching the spiral stone, just as it finished pulling the last bit of energy from Elyon.

As though invisible strings had been cut, Elyon fell out of the air, crashing to the ground. The hole in her chest had closed without a trace. Even her clothing appeared untouched.

However, her flickering white flame had extinguished.

Taranee screamed at the dragon, the monster that held her former friend, tears of anger and rage rolling down her face. The silver dragon slowed to a stop, its blue eyes locked on Taranee as it hovered in the air. With her fire-sight, Taranee could just barely make out the almost invisible outline of the girl trapped inside the dragon.

Then the dragon vanished with a burst of fire. And Taranee was alone again.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**A huge thank you to all of the people kind enough to leave me a review last chapter: **XV-Dragon**, **DayDreamer9**, **Darev** and **Joe Habana**! Reviews always bring a smile to my face, they are the best part of writing!**

**Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my story and thank you for coming back to read each chapter!**

**I hope you all had an enjoyable day yesterday.**

**This chapter has been in the works for a while. Not as long as some of the other chapters, but still, for a while. Originally, it focused much more heavily on Phobos' point of view. But to be honest, I don't find him to be a very interesting character, so he got scaled back quite significantly.**

**I'm really looking forward to the next chapter, not that I didn't enjoy this one. At the moment its about 50% completed (that's written but not edited at all). I get to spend the next two weeks prepping it.**

**Until next time!**

**Starwin out.**


	6. E2 P2: Captured Heart

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 2: Refuge

* * *

Part 2: Captured Heart

* * *

Deep inside the walls of the dark fortress in the sky, a girl with silver hair sulked through the empty corridors. In her wake, a trail of half mumbled words followed, disturbing the otherwise unbroken silence. The sounds lingered in the air far longer then they rightly should. The voice was different from the person who spoke them as if they had changed once they left her lips.

The floor that had been hard stone was slowly decomposing into soft dirt. Thick, mossy green vines covered the walls, suffocating the black marble underneath. The ground was riddled with the roots of some massive unseen plant that tangled its hold around the kingdom.

But the silver haired girl did not notice any of this. For all that she saw or heard, she might have very well had her eyes shut tight and her hands clamped firmly over her ears.

She did not notice that she was muttering to herself. She did not notice that each step she took left a sprouting plant in her footprint. She did not notice that the blue gem around her neck was glowing softly in anticipation of consuming another world's heart.

Her name had once been Cornelia Hale, although she supposed it still must be. She had long ago been a normal girl, with normal problems. Then she had been made a Guardian of Kandrakar and everything changed.

That was where it all started to go wrong. She'd told herself everything was fine but her whole life had quickly spun out of control. She'd pretended it was just a dream, that the things she did—the things she saw—weren't real.

It wasn't her casting magic on distant worlds. She didn't fight monsters or overthrow corrupt dictators on far off planets. But the only dream she was indulging herself in was that it wasn't real.

She had seen true horrors of the universe. She had seen the darkness that was really out there. She knew what evil looked like.

Everything felt more like a nightmare now than a dream. Everything she had been fighting for! Everything she had believed in! It was all just smoke and lies. None of them, not the Oracle, not the Guardians, had what it took to really make the universe safe. No one, except her.

The Soul had shown her the way. In her nightmares she had seen the end of the universe. Like her life, they weren't fantasies of fiction but the truth of reality. There was no one else who could understand. No one else who knew what needed to be done. And she would do it, at any cost.

Cornelia stopped walking. A ring of fire, blue and bright, ignited into existence in air before her. The fire burned at the edges of reality, like it was some kind of theater screen that the universe was projected upon.

A hole opened in the ring of fire, burning through the universe into the never-ending darkness behind it. Darker than a starless night, colder than Rakadin; the Void, that was the darkness she was looking into... and it was looking back.

Deep within the ring of fire, far off in the absolute darkness, a shining sparkle of silver glistened too distant to make out. But in an instant the sparkle had traveled the entire length of the universe.

The thing was no longer a far off silver sparkle; it was a full sized dragon. The beast emerged through the hole in the universe—sliding out through the ring of fire that held the gap in reality open for it.

The fire ceased. The hole collapsed abruptly and the darkness was sealed away once more.

A massive, silver metal dragon, now filled the hallway. The girl was not afraid of it. After all, she had made this monster out of a human boy—which one exactly she wasn't sure anymore—but a small thing like that didn't really matter.

The dragon had grown huge. It was so large that it towered above the girl, more than three times her height. Its gigantic muscular body was quickly approaching roughly the size of a small house. And its enormous wings rivaled that of an airplane.

Its cold blue eyes gazed silently down at her. Slowly its jaws opened, and from between its many rows of jagged teeth a small orb of light descended. The glowing object fell like a snowflake, drifting slightly back and forth, tumbling inevitably downwards towards the waiting hands below.

Like a bear trap, Cornelia's hands snapped shut, caging the flickering light in her pale fingers. The light did not struggle, as if it had already accepted its fate. With a slow, deliberate motion, the girl pressed the heart of another world against the gem that held her neck.

Intense white light flared up as the Heart was absorbed into the Soul. The white light burned blindingly bright. Then its color began to change. Spokes of blue crept across the white until only calm blue light remained.

The dragon roared, the sound was so powerful that it shook the hallway. Trails of fine dust streamed down from the ceiling. Cold blue light surged from the dragon's eyes. The beast's body grew larger while Cornelia watched silently.

The silver claws at the monster's hands became longer, sharper. The talons on its wings hooked slightly. Spikes sprouted from its shoulders and neck. But none of this alarmed Cornelia at all. She had seen this happen many times.

In fact it had happened every time she absorbed a Heart. Her dragons grew larger and more powerful. Except that wasn't entirely true. The last Dragon Knight that had been present when she'd absorbed a Heart had been Hay Lin. She had stayed exactly the same size and shape. It was odd, but she had never thought about it before now.

And speaking of Hay Lin—Cornelia's thoughts now focused on her—where was she? Meridian should have fallen by now. The Dragon Knight standing before her had left after Hay Lin, but returned first.

Cornelia had intended to wait until the Heart of Metamoor was in her hands. But it really didn't matter. She didn't need it just yet. It was just another heart after all.

The large silver dragon snorted impatiently, its muscles flexing under its metal armor. Cornelia's eyes turned to it. She had a dragon. So what if it wasn't Hay Lin. She didn't need Hay Lin. She didn't need anyone.

With the smallest of gestures she commanded the great dragon to bow before her and it did. As she walked towards it the ground beneath her bare feet began to rise. Pillars of stone rose out of the floor creating broken steps for Cornelia to walk on. Quickly she was level with the dragon's shoulders, a good ten feet off the ground.

Cornelia stepped from raised floor to scaled back and sat somewhat uncomfortably upon the dragon's metal body. Her legs dangled around either side of its massive neck. She could feel its powerful muscles flexing under her.

The dragon sat up and Cornelia was lifted even higher into the air. Reflexively, her hand grabbed one of the short spikes that grew from the dragon's long neck. With her other hand she pointed at the wall beside them.

The stonework shook violently for a moment and then shattered, blasting outwards into the stormy sky. Cornelia kicked the top of the dragons chest with her heals. The beast roared. With great heaving steps it moved to the whole in the wall. It stood there for a moment gazing out at the great drop before it, and the stormy sky that churned angrily. Then it leapt into the swirling clouds below.

For a moment they were in free fall. The towers of Rakadin rushed passed them, obscured in thick clouds before erupting out of the mist. Then they were through the clouds and into the relentless pouring rain.

The wings of the dragon took one great flap and their downward plummet halted. Cornelia's free hand joined the one already gripping tightly to the spike. The powerful wings beat again, lifting them a little this time.

Cornelia did not enjoy this at all. She much preferred Hay Lin, who moved as though carried on the wind. Riding this way was uncomfortable and… wet?

Rain was cascading down upon them, she hated the rain. Lighting flashed in the far distance and a moment later the crash rolled over them.

With a hard tug, Cornelia pulled at the spike on the dragon's neck and the beast's head turned on its long neck. Its wings spread wide and they began to glide downwards in a large, slow, spiral.

This was the first time Cornelia had properly seen the outside of Rakadin, although there wasn't much left to see. The castle had been almost entirely consumed by vines that now grew from every window and poked through every wall.

The castle was not flying, as it appeared from the inside. A massive trunk like structure extended downwards to the earth below. The castle looked like some deformed flower on a long stem. Her eyes could make out the great roots that now extended miles under ground and out in all directions.

There were also huge flower buds growing all over the kingdom, some as massive as a house. None of them had bloomed yet. Briefly, Cornelia wondered what the flowers might look like.

But the cold rain and the uncomfortable beat of wings tore her from such daydreams. She wished this stupid rain would just stop already. Except, it wasn't her doing it. She had tried to make it go away, but it would not. She had commanded Serenity to make it go away, but she did not respond. Cornelia didn't think it was her doing anyhow.

Lights from the city below drew Cornelia back to her mission. She searched the small gray buildings until she found what she was looking for. With another tug at the dragon's neck and another kick, she turned the monster towards one of the many small buildings below.

As they moved away from Rakadin, Cornelia glanced back at it. The plant and the kingdom in the sky shimmered away. Hay Lin's power was still concealing it and she wondered once again what was taking her Dragon Knight so long.

The two of them soared across the sky, cutting through the falling downpour. Against the gray clouds, the silver dragon was all but invisible. Anyone looking up into the rain would have an impossible time spotting them.

Quickly enough they reached their destination. Cornelia guided the dragon down towards the street below. They rushed at the ground. At the last moment the massive wings beat hard, bringing them to a stop, feet above the pavement. The downdraft was enough to push the nearby parked cars to the curb. Then they landed softly, half in the street, half on the sidewalk.

Cornelia slid off the dragons shoulders, the earth reached up to catch her feet before she could fall even an inch. Gently she was lowered to the ground.

The street was empty for the moment but it wouldn't stay that way for long. Traffic was usually light, more so when it was raining, but people would surely pass by. And Cornelia wasn't ready for the whole world to know about her just yet.

She turned to the massive silver dragon that sat patiently under the pouring rain. Cornelia waved a hand at the beast and a spell of glamour washed over it. The dragon shimmered away to be replaced by…

Cornelia's hand stopped mid wave. She was not sure how or even why she had done it. The illusion was of… of Elyon Brown. The rain fell around her as though parted by some giant invisible umbrella.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, her eyes filled with sadness. Quickly Cornelia broke the spell and the dragon returned. She hadn't seen… that hadn't really been… But her thoughts were absorbed by the darkness in her mind before she could fully see them.

Her calm returned and her mind refocused on the mission at hand. A person wouldn't do at all of course. A dragon was huge and the glamour spell didn't change something's size. Someone could still crash into the dragon, since half of it was standing in the street.

With another wave of her hand Cornelia cast her spell upon the dragon once again. This time, a tall construction crane shimmered into existence, concealing the terrible dragon behind the illusion. That was much better. It was far more suited in size and shape. It was also less likely to attract attention. A person standing calmly in the rain my draw unwanted questions.

Cornelia turned towards her destination. But as her eyes saw it, truly saw it, she felt the world crash to a stop. Her breathing became uneven and a part of her didn't want to go any further.

This place had been her home. She had abandon it and the people inside it. She had made them forget her, well, Serenity had done that part. Even still, she never thought she would be coming back.

The moment passed and Cornelia regained herself. The thoughts that had given her pause vanished inside her mind. Without anymore delay she moved to the security gate that separated street from building.

There were keys required here, or the keypad that she could call up to the place and have them open it for her. But she had neither keys, nor the desire to tell the people she was coming for them.

She punched the gate. The iron bars bent as though they were made of silly putty. She struck with her other fist and the gate was lifted out of its fittings and thrown across the yard where it clattered to the ground. Cornelia strode through the opening and across the courtyard. She commanded the door of the building to fly open and it did.

Moving with quick steps Cornelia approached the elevator that would take her up to the place where she once lived. It seemed like a life time ago since she had been here. In reality it had only been a week.

Water from her soaked clothing dripped onto the carpeted floor as she waited for the lift to arrive. When at last the doors opened she stepped inside with all the normalcy of someone who didn't have a castle floating in the sky.

Cornelia pressed the button that would take her up to her floor. Soft, unidentifiable, music hummed in the background. The lift slowed to a stop and the doors slid open.

With only a few steps Cornelia stood in front of her former home. She held out her hand, pointed at the door. She paused for a moment, the voice that had been silenced trying to speak up once again, but the shadows were waiting for it, dragging it back down.

A blast of energy ripped the door off its hinges with a thunderous crash. She had expected a cry of surprise at the very least, but instead a loud screeching sound echoed from within.

A small box next to the door was flashing and making noise. Cornelia punched it, her fist tearing through the plastic shell and into the wall behind it. The box went silent with a final lingering whine.

The lights were off but it was not dark. Enough light came in through the windows so that the condo was eerily lit in half shadows.

Pulling her fist out of the wall, Cornelia's eyes swept across the empty room. She had expected cries of surprise at the very least. But now that the screaming box had been made quiet she had noticed how still the air was, how silent the house had become.

Cornelia moved through the condo. The next room, the one were what she was looking for should have been, was also empty.

Someone whispered her name in the darkness. Cornelia spun around, her hand pointing at the place where the voice had come from, ready to attack. But there was no one there. She was jumping at shadows, hearing noises in the dark.

The rain beat against the windows with relentless rhythm. Cornelia moved deeper into the condo, checking each room in turn and finding them just as vacant as the one before it.

At last she came to what had once been her room, the door was closed. She could have blasted it open, but she did not. With a slightly trembling hand Cornelia opened the door.

Inside were all her old things. But they didn't feel like they were hers. They felt like they belonged to another person a life time ago.

She wandered around the room, finally stopping at her vanity. Her hand absently brushed a picture of the people she used to call friends. Her eyes saw their faces, even if she did not.

And then she heard her name again. Cornelia's eyes darted up, looking into the mirror. Reflected in the glass, standing in the room with her was the most impossible person! It was Elyon! She was right behind Cornelia!

With blinding speed and gritted teeth, Cornelia turned on her former friend, her hand outstretched like a deadly weapon and seething with terrible power. But there was no one else in the room with her. She was seeing things! Hearing things!

Cornelia turned back to her mirror, but Elyon was still there! Reflected in it! And then Cornelia realized what was going on, remembered that this was her own doing!

It was a picture of Elyon, placed behind the glass in such a way so that when Cornelia sat, she could look up and see her friend sitting beside her. She had done it herself, just after Elyon left to live on another world, to be its Queen. Cornelia had done it so that she would never forget her friend.

With a whimper of shame and frustration Cornelia collapsed into the chair in front of her desk. Tears streaming down her face, sobs choking her throat. What had she done!? What was she doing? She never wanted this! She wanted to protect her friends. She wanted to protect everyone!

The gem around Cornelia's neck tightened its hold, its silver chain cutting into the girl's skin. The Soul began to glow, engulfing the room in unnatural blue light. Cracks split the mirror, hiding Elyon's picture from view. And as Cornelia looked up, she watched her own blue eyes turn black.

* * *

There was nothing here for her. The trip had been a waste of time, no one was home, what she needed was gone. Her mind was filled with a whirling emptiness that consumed all thought.

Time seemed to move unnaturally slow for Cornelia as she made her way out of the condo. She was hardly aware of anything until someone shined a bright light in her face. There were voices calling out to her, people shouting at her.

She didn't even think as she reacted, lashing out with her terrible magic. The man let out a cry of distress as he was flung off his feet and thrown clean through the wall behind him.

Now other voices where shouting. More people where here, rushing in through the splintered doorway. They were pointing guns at her, telling her to stop moving. Cornelia did not stop.

Violent bangs shook the air. But the bullets did not fly towards her. Instead they hung weightlessly in front of her, halted by her outstretched hand. She released them and the lumps of metal fell softly to the carpeted floor.

The people were retreating, shouting into their walkie-talkies. There was no choice now. She would not be able to leave quietly. She would not be able to remain hidden.

Some sense of self was returning as she moved towards the door. The screaming box, it had been an alarm. These people with guns, they were Police officers, keepers of the peace.

Now she would have to move fast. She would have to find the person that should have been here. The person who carried the Heart of Earth. And that person was her younger sister, Lillian. But where could she be?

Closing her eyes Cornelia listened. She could feel the Heart of Earth. It wasn't far. Her eyes opened, staring at a blank wall as if she had x-ray vision. Of course! She was where all people her age should be right now, school.

Cornelia stepped out into the hallway. It was empty, the officers had obviously pulled back to regroup. She knew they would be waiting for her outside. A confrontation with them was inevitable.

She pressed the call button for the elevator, but it did not light up. There wasn't time to wait for it anyhow.

With a crashing stomp she caused the floor beneath her feet to break. A large circular chunk cut around her before collapsing and falling through to the floor below. Then that floor did the same.

Then she was almost free falling as floor after floor gave way. With a bone shattering crash she slammed onto the ground floor, a cloud of dust filling the air. Such a fall would have seriously injured anyone else, but she wasn't even scratched.

From here Cornelia could see glimpses of what was waiting for her. Outside there were flashing lights. A barricade had been erected and a car blockade made any exit onto the street impossible.

Without pause Cornelia marched towards the front door. An amplified voice shouted for her to stop. A smile spread across Cornelia's face as she whispered to her Dragon Knight, hidden right beside the officers.

The crane shimmered away and the closest car was flung down the street. Heads turned, people shouted in terror and gun fire erupted in the street. All of them were focused on the metal monster that had suddenly appeared.

Bullets bounced off it like rain drops. The metal skin was more than just for show. The dragon cut through the blockade, tossing people and cars haphazardly as it went.

Blue flame spewed from its mouth as the dragon melted one of the cars, forcing the people hiding behind it to flee. Steam billowed into the air as the rain was vaporized by the dragon's fire.

"You!" shouted a police woman, her gun trained on Cornelia. "You're doing this somehow!" several rounds erupted from the firearm. But just as before, Cornelia halted them.

Lifting her foot she stomped down hard into the concrete ground. A shockwave spread out in all directions, causing the building behind her to sway ominously. Many of the officers still standing were knocked off their feet.

The gem around Cornelia's neck suddenly became ice cold. It felt like her skin was burning. With a cry of pain the gem let out a burst of light. As the light expanded, it transformed all that it touched into stone.

The grass on the ground. The nearby tree. The cars. The people.

However, the stone spell did not stop at the edge of the light. It continued to spread, crawling along the ground, changing even the asphalt into black marble. The people tried to run but the stone was too fast. It caught them, changed them, made them still.

Cornelia walked calmly across the slick surface, her black eyes seeing it without emotion. Her Dragon Knight bowed to her so that she could climb onto its back. It seemed unaffected by the crawling stone.

It wasn't until they were airborne that Cornelia could see what she had done. The entire block had turned to black marble. It was moving even faster now, spreading out in all directions like a terrible all consuming shadow.

* * *

"That was, uh, very interesting Christopher," said the tall adult with glasses. She ticked something off on a piece of paper on her desk. "You can sit down now."

The young boy, with brown hair, standing at the front of the class smiled broadly. There was a video game, Blood Razor 3, clutched in his hands. He walked proudly back to his seat, only stopping to stick his tongue out at the blond hair girl who was sticking her tongue out at him.

"Lillian!" said their teacher sharply, causing the blond haired girl to sit up very quickly and her face to go slightly red. "You're next."

Pulling a large brown box out from under her desk, the small girl made her way up to the front of the class room. There were several holes cut in the side of the box, and it was making a strange noise.

"You didn't bring a pet for show-and-tell, did you Lillian?" asked their teacher a note of wiriness in her voice.

"But you said we should bring in our most favorite thing!" protested Lillian Hale, her small hands clutching the top of the box, ready to pull it open. The teacher rubbed her eyes and shook her head slightly.

"Ok," sighed their teacher. "But after you're done, we'll have to call your parents to come pick it up."

With a big smile the girl pulled off the box top and reached inside. A protesting meow echoed from the depths of the box as the little girl extracted a large black cat, holding it up under the arms.

"This is Napoleon," said Lillian. "And he's my cat! He had black fur and green eyes and…"

The door to the class room was flung open with a crash. The teacher jumped with surprise and Lillian dropped her cat, which hissed angrily at the stranger standing in the door way.

It was a boy. He couldn't be more than fifteen or sixteen. His clothing was damp and terrible scars cut across his exposed face. The teacher could swear they were letters of some kind, she could definitely make out an 'M" or maybe it was a 'W'?

"You all have to get out of here!" the boy shouted. No one moved. "Right now!"

One of the girls in the back of the room screamed, but she wasn't looking at the boy, she was looking out the window. Coming down, out of the sky was a great silver dragon. With a terrible crash it slammed into the ground, throwing mud and earth into the air.

The teacher was shouting and the students were running for the door. The boy moved out of the way to let them pass. But as Lillian tried to leave, the boy caught her arm.

"You have to come with me," the boy said. Lillian tried to pull away, but the older boy was too strong.

The dragon roared and the windows shook. Reflexively Lillian looked towards the terrible monster outside and she saw, standing upon its back, her older sister.

"We have to go," the boy lifted the younger girl off the ground, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Then he pulled the door shut, just as the windows shattered, sending flying shards of glass into the wall.

The boy began to run, down the hallway as fast as he could. Except, everyone ahead of him had stopped running. There were screams echoing down the hallway. And now the boy could see why.

The floor had turned black and it was creeping like a shadow, turning everything it touched to stone.

* * *

Cornelia stood in the empty classroom. She had seen her sisters face just before she had been carried away by someone. They would not get far. Even now she could feel the creeping stone surrounding the building, changing it. There was no escape, no place they could hide that she wouldn't find them.

Without hesitation, Cornelia made to chase them but a black cat leapt out from under a desk, blocking the door. The feline hissed at Cornelia, bearing its sharp teeth and claws. She recognized the cat as her sisters.

"Out of the way," Cornelia said, gesturing for the cat to move. But it did not, it only hissed louder. And then it leapt at her, its sharp teeth finding their mark in her leg, while its claws dug into her shin.

With a kick Cornelia sent the cat flying. It landed on all fours and hissed again.

"I don't have time for this," sneered Cornelia, and she pointed a hand at the cat. A blast of energy erupted from her fingers. It was so powerful that it punched a three foot round hole in the floor where the cat had been. But she hadn't hit the little monster. It had dodged her attack. Just what was going on here?

An idea formed in Cornelia's swirling thoughts. This cat was her sisters, she was the keeper of the Heart of Earth. Perhaps some of her magic had worn off on the cat?

"Well if you're a minion of my sister's," said Cornelia, lowering her arm. "It's only fair you fight against my minion."

With an almighty crash the head of the silver dragon smashed through what little was left of the wall. It roared at the cat, while the cat hissed back before leaping at the dragon's face, claws bared.

Cornelia did not stay to watch, she had more important things to attend to.

* * *

The hallways were empty. Cornelia noticed that the floor had become black marble. The creeping stone spell had to of consumed the entire building by now. Yet, she could still feel the Heart of Earth moving away from her.

Perhaps her sister was immune. Or maybe the boy that had carried her away was protecting her somehow. Either way, they would not escape. They were not far, not even off the school grounds yet.

The small statues of children did not even give Cornelia pause as she ran past them and out the front door. And there they were, at the far edge of the school yard, heading towards the gate in the fence.

Cornelia stopped and commanded the ground to rise. A huge wall of stone leapt out of the earth, towering several stories into the sky. They were trapped. Walking more slowly, Cornelia moved towards her sister and the boy who now stood shielding her.

At last she recognized him, it was Matt Olsen. She could still see the cuts on his face and arms where he had carved Will's name into his skin to keep it from slipping away. For some reason, he too was unaffected by the creeping stone spell. Was her sister protecting him from it, while he protected her from Cornelia?

"Stop this Cornelia!" shouted Matt. "This is your sister! This is your home!"

Cornelia did not respond, she continued to walk towards them, the draw of the Heart of Earth pulling her onwards.

"If you won't stop," shouted Matt. "Then I'll stop you myself!"

There was a flash of energy and Cornelia watched with narrowed eyes as he transformed, becoming slightly taller and more muscular. Large white feathery wings sprouted out of his back and an expressionless white mask covered his face. He reminded Cornelia slightly of what Serenity's Dragon Knights had looked like.

With a roar, two beams of energy erupted out of Matt's eyes. Cornelia commanded the ground to rise up and block it. For a moment the ground held, but the blast was so intense that it melted the stone and Cornelia was forced to dodge to avoid being struck.

"So, my sister has given you powers too," said Cornelia, resuming her march towards her sister. "But they are not nearly enough to stand against me."

"These are the gifts of the Heart of Kandrakar," said Matt, changing his stance and preparing for another attack. "Part of it was hidden inside me. Before it left it gave me some of its powers so that I could protect others from evil!"

There was a horrendous crash from the school and a massive silver dragon crashed through the side of the building. Splintered wood and chunks of wall went flying in every direction.

The dragon let out a roar as it blasted blue flame in a giant arc through the air. Something very fast and very small raced past Cornelia and came to stop next to Matt and Lillian. It was the cat, rain soaked and a little worse for ware but still alive.

"You think you're strong," whispered Cornelia. "You think you have a chance. But you're wrong." Her hands closed quickly and both Matt and the feline protector were ensnared in vines that erupted out of the ground. "Hope is all you have. I was holding back." The vines tightened.

Matt fired another energy blast at Cornelia but she stopped the beam cold in her hand. Then thick vines ensnared Matt's head, covering his eyes. He let out a cry of anguish as the vines constricted more tightly around him.

"Stop it!" yelled Lillian, moving forward and throwing her small arms out protectively. Cornelia did not release either victim, nor did she stop walking towards them. "If you let them go, I'll give you the stupid Heart!"

"No!" shouted Matt. Another vine wrapped around his mouth.

"Agreed," said Cornelia.

Lillian held out her hands. Warm light glowed between her fingers and the Heart of Earth materialized in her small hands. She held it out towards Cornelia, her arms shaking slightly. The blue gem around Cornelia's neck lashed out, snatching the Heart hungrily.

As it did so, Lillian collapsed. Both the cat and Matt struggled against their bonds. Cornelia released them and they both moved to the small motionless body of Lillian.

"What did you do to her!" demanded Matt, rage and anger shaking in his voice. "She surrendered!"

"It is the fate of all keepers," said Cornelia as she moved to climb onto her Dragon Knight. "They exist only to protect their Heart. When it is gone, there is no more purpose for them. Just as when all the Hearts are gone, their will be no more purpose for Kandrakar."

With a great flap of its wings, the dragon lifted from the ground and vanished into the sky.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my work!**

**A special BIG T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U goes out to those who went the extra mile and left me a review! **Lexvan, DayDreamer9, Joe Habana, XV-Dragon **and** Darev**! You keep me going when there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel.**

**This chapter took some interesting twists and turns along its development. In its original concept, Cornelia fought the Military (tanks and helicopters and such) after they discovered Rakadin. An epic battle ensued (some of which I wrote and is in my deleted scenes folder) as the forces of Earth realized the danger they were in! **

**Except, it really didn't work as well as I thought it would. The whole thing sort of sidetracked the story off in a different direction, taking focus away from what was important.**

**Then I realized, oh snap! Cornelia is setup as the antagonist in this story. Her goal is taking Hearts! Obviously, she has to take the Heart of Earth at some point. And the cannon established that her sister is the keeper of the Heart of Earth! I was like, that's perfect!**

**I toyed around with moving this chapter earlier and have this whole episode focused on Cornelia hunting down her sister for the Heart of Earth. But, that didn't really work either. The Heart of Earth is just one small part of the bigger story. And again it felt too sidetracked.**

**Well, in any case, it was a challenge to write. Time to kick back, relax… start writing the next chapter… sigh.**

**Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed!**

**Starwin out.**


	7. E2 P3: The Last Guardian

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 2: Refuge

* * *

Part 3: The Last Guardian

* * *

Deep within the planet of Metamoor was an eternal fire. It had burned long before there was even a planet. It had burned while stone layered its surface and plants took root. It had burned through every day and every night. The people who walked on its surface could not see it, although they could feel it.

It was magic that flowed through them, the power that brought life to their world. It was the Light of Meridian. Even the energy sucking tyrant Phobos, who had stolen almost all the magic of the world, had not been able to extinguish it.

So it was perhaps ironic that it was a blind girl, not of that world, that saw with fire-sight as the Light of Meridian flickered and died. She had tried her best to stop this from happening. She had done everything in her power to help, but it had not been enough. Her name was Taranee Cook and she was the last Guardian of Kandrakar.

She was sprawled out on a cobblestone street in the capital city of Meridian. Only moments ago she had watched as the light of Meridian was stolen away. She had screamed for the thief to stop, but they had not.

Taranee's arms felt too unsteady to lift her body. Her legs refused to stand. So she crawled instead, trying not to look down at the empty darkness below her, that should have been filled with light.

The world below her was dead. Its fire had been taken. She had watched as the life of the world had been ripped out of the body of its ruler, another young girl called Elyon Brown, who now lay lifeless only feet away from her.

Taranee crawled desperately over the uneven stones towards the motionless shape of her friend. She had been forced to watch the most terrible horror as the life of her friend had been sucked out. Even though they were so close, Taranee felt like she struggled for an eternity before she at last reached Elyon's side.

The blond haired girl was not breathing. Her eyes were half open and vacant. She was looking up at the night sky with her lips parted in a silent cry.

Tears were falling from Taranee's face as she struggled to gain control over her emotions. Her body was shaking, her breathing broken in half-silenced sobs. She had been there, unable to do anything. And she was here now, still powerless to help.

Taranee's fire-sight looked into Elyon, through her, searching for any sign of flame. And there it was, the tiniest spark, still alight in Elyon. The fire had hidden itself as far from her heart as it could get, in one of her feet.

'She isn't dead!' thought Taranee. 'Not yet! Not if I have anything to say about it!'

But Taranee wasn't a healer. She couldn't cure people with her magic.

What could she possibly do for Elyon? Take her to Kandrakar and hope the Oracle could help her? No, he hadn't helped Will last time, why would he help Elyon?

Maybe she could take Elyon back to the castle and let the healers work their magic? But the spark of life was already so very faint and it was growing dimmer by the second. There wasn't time! She had to think! She had to help!

And then the craziest thought raced through Taranee's mind. She couldn't… it couldn't be as simple as…

Taranee held her hand out towards the dwindling fire that weakened inside of Elyon. It wasn't real fire, it wasn't an element, she couldn't possibly… but even as she thought it, Taranee could feel the heat. Her fingers could sense her element, the fire of life wanting to burn again inside Elyon.

As if the fire she saw were actual fire, she commanded the ember inside Elyon to burn hotter, to grow bigger, to spread throughout her body. And to her surprise, it did.

It didn't move like normal fire though. Her magic usually created and sustained the flames she commanded. But this fire, the fire of life inside Elyon, this did not consume magic to burn, it used Taranee's own life as fuel.

Even as Elyon's fire burned brighter and brighter, Taranee could feel herself slipping away. Her own flames were growing cold and her fire-sight had gone dark around the edges of her vision.

But she could not stop, not yet. Not until the fire inside Elyon reached her heart. She was not bringing Elyon back from death, but keeping her here.

Taranee's hand was shaking. It was taking all her strength to keep going, to maintain her fire-sight, to burn her own life fires. A hand gently grabbed Taranee's and Elyon spoke to her in a horse whisper that Taranee did not understand.

She had done it. She had saved Elyon.

Her strength drained, Taranee felt her fire-sight extinguish and terrible, empty, darkness pressed against her eyes. She blinked, but it did not change the fact that her vision had finally left her. The world had been stolen away completely and all she could see was its absence.

There was only one thing Taranee could think of, only one place she could go. It was somewhere she would not need eyes to find. And she would not leave Elyon behind.

Feeling what her eyes could no longer see, Taranee slid her arms under Elyon. Her legs would hardly lift her, but Taranee made them stand. Her arms would not bare the weight of her friend, but she forced them to hold. But the Heart did not resist as she commanded it to take them to Kandrakar.

* * *

Warmth was the first feeling Taranee was properly aware of. It was warmth like she had never felt. Warmth, like being out under the midday sun. Warmth, like sitting by a campfire. Warmth, like being tucked under your favorite blankets. Warmth, like a mother's hug.

It was not just against her skin, but inside her, radiating through her body.

The last thing she clearly remembered was stepping through the fold, Elyon in her arms. She couldn't have taken more than a few steps before she remembered nothing else. How long she had slept, she did not know. If she was even in Kandrakar, she did not know.

Taranee did not open her eyes. She didn't want the horrible truth to be made real.

She wished she could go back to sleep. Maybe when she woke up next time it would be in her own bed. Maybe this would all be just a distant dream. But she knew it wasn't.

Sooner or later she would have to face the fact that the world she had been able to see all her life would be nothing but memories now. When she opened her eyes in a few moments, there would only be nothingness to greet her.

So she lay still. Trying to will herself back into sleep. She wanted to go back to a dream world and put off the moment she never wanted to come.

Taranee shifted her position, trying to find a more comfortable spot. The bed below her was soft. It was made of no material she could identify. However, no movement she made seemed to make the bed any more appealing than it already was.

Her hands ran across it and she realized that it wasn't fabric beneath her. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. She couldn't rightly describe the sensation, except that it was like floating in warm air made solid.

For one moment she forgot that she didn't want to open her eyes. Against her own cautions Taranee lifted her lids a fraction of a fraction of an inch. At first she saw nothing but dazzling light sparkling in her eyes. She shut them tightly.

She hadn't seen real light. It was just a trick, just in her head. She would never see real light again! Except that she had seen something, she was sure of it. It was something that wasn't endless night, something that had been made of light.

Gathering all the strength she had, Taranee forced her eyes open. Blinding light washed over her vision. It was filled with shapes and colors of all sorts. She tried to make out what they were but it was impossible.

She closed her eyes again. She commanded fire-sight to come to her. But as she felt her eyes surge with energy a sharp pain burned in her temples. Instantly Taranee stopped trying to force her fire-sight. The discomfort she had felt dissipated as quickly as it had come.

There was no choice now but to try her eyes once more and see the world in colors without form. Taranee opened her eyes again but it was not shapeless colors this time. She could see, properly see, the world before her. And that world was a room made of white stone.

There would have been nothing particularly special about this room—as it looked like many other in Kandrakar—had there not been a giant smokeless flame burning at its center. The fire danced in blue and red and yellow, its light cast against the white walls, bathing them in a rainbow.

Taranee instantly knew that this fire was the source of the incredible warmth she had felt. Except, there was something odd about this pillar of fire. For a flame so large its heat should have easily burned her, as she was only ten feet away. But as Taranee extended a hand towards the flame, the warmth did not turn into burning heat, rather it remained constant.

Sliding off the bed, Taranee moved closer to the fire, her hands held out towards it, a strange longing to touch it. No matter how close she moved to the flame, it did not burn her.

"Guardian!" shouted a man's voice. Taranee stopped, her new eyes searching for the source of the sound. One of the people of Kandrakar moved towards her. She had never seen him before, but there must be many people in Kandrakar she had never met.

"You must not touch the eternal flame," said the man. "Fire is meant to be seen and felt, but not to be touched." Taranee lowered her hands and took a slight step away from the flame. "We are glad you are awake." Continued the man, relief on his face and his composure slowly returning. "The Oracle wishes to see you."

"I have to see my friend first," replied Taranee.

"But the Oracle instructed…" the man tried, but Taranee was already moving past him. His protests did not follow her long. Perhaps he thought it less trouble to find the Oracle then to argue with her. Either way, Taranee did not care. She had to see ----... see the Water Guardian as quickly as possible.

People parted to let her pass as Taranee rushed through Kandrakar, stopping for no one. Her pace only became faster as she got closer. At last, when she thought that she would never get there, Taranee reached the door that hid her friend behind it.

Not surprisingly it was locked. That was nothing but a moments pause for her. Taranee commanded the Heart of Kandrakar and with it, she could bend space and time, moving through them as easy as she could breathe.

Taranee folded space around her and a moment later she stood inside the room where ---- had entered into death to chase after Will.

Quickly Taranee's eyes found two bodies, laying side by side on stone tables. One was covered in a fine silk cloth, hiding the lifeless form of Will Vandom below it. The other was resting peacefully, breathing slowly with her eyes closed on her peaceful face. She might have just been sleeping for all anyone could tell.

Taranee moved slowly closer, as though afraid her approach would wake them. This was the first time she had properly seen this room. She had to admit that save for the mist rolling across the floor there seemed to be nothing special at all about this place. Her fire-sight had led her to believe otherwise.

Sooner than she would have liked, Taranee reached ---- side… the Water Guardian's side. She hated to think of her friend like that. The Oracle called them things like that. They were people, friends! It wasn't fair she couldn't even think the girl's name who lay before her.

Well, she would just have to fix that. She would have to go into her friends mind and see what was wrong!

Gently Taranee placed her hand on ---- forehead before she closed her eyes. She tried to reach out with her telepathy. But all she found was empty thought. It wasn't the feeling of nothing, because there was definitely someone there. It was like, going into a vacant house. You could see where things should be, where people should be, but it's silent, still and empty.

Taranee opened her eyes, looking down at the brown haired girls face with concern. She felt another presence with her in this room. Taranee's eyes snapped up to see the Oracle slowly moving towards her.

"I had asked that you come see me when you awoke," said the Oracle calmly. His voice was not angry, but there was a note of disapproval in it. The door was not open behind him, and Taranee wondered if he might have just teleported here rather than walked.

"Something is wrong with ----!" shouted Taranee, without thinking. "… with the Water Guardian… with my friend…" she trailed off as words failed her. The Oracle did not even look politely puzzled, just the same, everyday calm. "I can't say her name! No one can!"

"This was not unforeseen," replied the Oracle, his voice carrying a 'you should already know that' tone to it. "The Water Guardian has entered into death without paying its toll. There are sacrifices to be made if she wants to cross its bridges and see its wonders."

"You could have warned her!" shouted Taranee angrily.

"It would have made no difference. She was set in her task. She knew what was required of her. It is her nature to be strong for others." The Oracle had suddenly moved very near to Taranee so that he stood across from her now, waiting by Will's side. Taranee had been watching him the whole time, yet she couldn't clearly recall him every taking a single step.

"All things have their purpose. All things have their time." continued the Oracle. His eyes for once looked sad as he gazed upon Will's motionless body.

"You keep saying crap like that," said Taranee, her words stirring the Oracle back to life. "But then you send ---- off… Damn it… my friend off on some crazy chase to give Will more time." The Oracle looked a little surprised by Taranee's words.

"Hasn't Will had her time?" Taranee's voice teetered dangerously on the edge of rage. "Shouldn't we be focusing on the people we have left! Shouldn't we be trying to save them!"

Taranee was shouting now. "Thousands and thousands of worlds still need our help. Including mine. And I'm the only guardian left! I can't do this on my own!"

"You are not on your own," said the Oracle, his voice was meant to sound reassuring, but Taranee only found it more infuriating. She knew now the anger the Water Guardian had felt when she had struck the Oracle, because she wanted to hit him just as hard right now. "Even though the other Guardians are not here, their strength is still with you. The power that unites you does not fade with distance."

Regardless of what the Oracle might proclaim Taranee felt completely alone. She could stand next to her friends all day, but she didn't feel any closer to either of them. The brown haired girl lying before her might just have well been dead for all the attachment Taranee felt with her.

"Do not lose faith in your friends. Now, more than ever, it is your greatest strength," whispered the Oracle. "----… the Water Guardian must succeed." Taranee's eyes finally met with the Oracle's and for the first time she saw a glimpse of something that made him seem human. "Come, your friend is waiting and we have much to talk about."

* * *

Taranee didn't remember walking across Kandrakar, it felt like a distant blur in the back of her mind. But she was some place different, yet another one of the many white marble rooms that looked all the same. Except that Taranee recognized this room.

It was the Oracle's room. She had been here before, in happier times. She could almost hear her friends talking with the Oracle as they prepared to go on some mission to save the universe.

Except, all her friends were gone. It was just her now. The last Guardian. How much longer would she last?

Arms wrapped around Taranee before she was even properly aware that anyone was there. It had taken her a moment to properly register that someone was hugging her. It took her another, longer, moment to realize that the person hugging her tightly was Elyon.

At last, almost on reflex, Taranee returned the greeting embrace. She was glad to feel someone else. Glad to know that there was someone else besides her.

After what felt like not long enough, Elyon released Taranee. The blond haired Queen took a step back, her face bright and her watery eyes shining with joy.

"Thank you," said Elyon, a smile sneaking across her lips. Taranee wasn't sure what Elyon was talking about. Then it dawned on her that she had saved the other girls life. She had used her own inner fire to bring Elyon back from the brink of death.

Taranee did not answer, but returned the smile instead.

"Your… your eyes!" exclaimed Elyon, now gazing into Taranee's face.

"I can see again," said Taranee. "Better than before. I don't think I even need glasses anymore."

"No," said Elyon shaking her head. "Not that. They've changed!" The briefest flicker of shock flitted across Taranee's face. Her hands reached up, feeling around her eyes, but there seemed to be nothing different.

"What do you mean?" asked Taranee. She glanced around for a mirror, but she had never seen one in Kandrakar.

"Their color… your eyes… their gold!" said Elyon.

"I think they look good," said a low voice from behind Taranee. She turned her head just enough to see the shape of a boy in black robes leaning against the wall behind her. She hadn't noticed him when she'd come in.

Distantly, Taranee had known that the Dragon Knights were still in Kandrakar… well, one of them anyhow. Hayden, former minion of Serenity and wielder over the powers of death had been permitted to remain in Kandrakar after the final battle against Serenity. But in all the time Taranee had been here, she had never seen him.

"It is part of the healing process that saved your life," interjected the Oracle and drawing Taranee's attention away from the last Dragon Knight. "You have been touched by the eternal flames of the universe."

Taranee said nothing, but here confused expression must have told the Oracle enough. With a small smile he explained what had happened to her.

"You returned from Metamoor half dead," said the Oracle. "Your life force was all but extinguished when you used it to heal the Queen," he nodded towards Elyon. "There was no choice but to place you into the elemental convergence and hope that it could save you."

"Into, the what?" asked Taranee, now thoroughly confused.

"The elemental convergence is the place where Kandrakar touches the elemental planes," explained the Oracle. "Through powerful magic, we can open a doorway of sorts to one of the elemental planes and channel its energy into that room.

"In your case, we connected you to the plane of fire," continued the Oracle. "Healing of the nature you required usually needs the life giving power of the plane of earth. But given that you are the Fire Guardian…"

"Wait," said Taranee, still trying to wrap her head around the Oracles words. "Are you telling me you used fire to heal me?" The Oracle nodded slightly. "And this magic, fixed my vision. " Again, the Oracle nodded. "Well why the hell didn't you tell me this the first time I came here nearly blind? Did you think it was funny to let me stumble around?!"

"You needed time to develop your fire-sight," said the Oracle calmly.

Taranee looked shocked, he had known about her fire-sight? As if he had read her mind the Oracle answered in a soft voice. "I wouldn't be much of an Oracle if I didn't know. You are not the first Fire Guardian to develop the gifts to see beyond the physical universe. I knew that if your normal sight was returned, your gifts of fire-sight would being to diminish while you did not use it."

"And you couldn't have just told me I needed to practice?" countered Taranee suppressing the urge to throw handfuls of fire at the Oracle.

"I could have," said the Oracle calmly. "But no one can tell you fire is hot. You may hear the words, you may understand the words. But, until it burns you, there is no meaning.

"You had to see with your fire-sight. You had to need it, rely upon it. No amount of my explanations could have prepared you for what it would show you," explained the Oracle. Taranee felt her anger diminish slightly, although it did not abate completely. The Oracle was right after all. If she had gotten her sight back she probably would not have continued using her fire-sight.

"When you returned from Metamoor, we had no choice," continued the Oracle, breaking up Taranee's thoughts. "The healing process requires a lot of time. The universe could not be without a Guardian for so long, not in this time of crisis."

"How long exactly?" asked Taranee, already knowing she would not like the answer.

"A month," said Elyon flatly.

"WHAT!" cried Taranee almost unable to comprehend the amount of time lost. How many worlds had fallen in her absence. How many lives had been snuffed out because she had been too weak.

The Oracle seemed to sense the thoughts racing in Taranee's mind, he cleared his throat.

"You did what you had to do," said the Oracle. "More lives are at stake and you have answers that we need." Taranee was pulled from her self destructive thoughts by the Oracle's words. She didn't have any answers. The only things buzzing in her head were questions.

"Am I right in guessing that you watched as the Heart of Metamoor was stolen?" asked the Oracle. Another wave of panic washed over Taranee. That wasn't her fault! She had done everything in her power to stop it. How could the Oracle possibly punish her for that?

The Oracle spoke softly his voice supportive and kind, "We simply need to know what you saw. We must know how hearts are being stolen."

Taranee nodded as her brain worked to reconstruct the events on Metamoor. Recalling as best she could Taranee talked about the things she had seen. She talked about Phobos and how he had used a spiral stone. It had effortlessly broken through Elyon's shield. It had opened her up and sucked the light of Meridian out of her.

Then the whole world had gone dark. Taranee stopped talking and the room settled into an unnatural silence. The Oracle looked more aged and worn than Taranee had ever seen him. His mouth opened, but he did not speak. He closed it again and rubbed his face.

Murmuring into his hand he whispered words that neither Taranee, Elyon nor Hayden could hear.

"What?" asked Elyon.

The Oracle looked up, taking a deep breath and drawing calm from the air before speaking. "Phobos used a Void Stone. It is a shard made from Void energy. Because the Void exists outside of our universe, it is not bound by the same magical rules."

The Oracle lowered himself to the floor, as there were no chairs in the room, and sat cross-legged, no longer able to remain standing while he spoke. "Objects from the Void are very, very, dangerous. I thought we had destroyed them all. But if Phobos indeed used a tool of the Void, then things are much worse than I could have believed."

"But how did Phobos get one?" asked Elyon.

"I would guess Cornelia gave it to him," replied the Oracle.

"Alright," said Elyon, her voice frustrated. "How the hell did Cornelia get one! And why would she ever want to use such a thing!" The Oracle's gaze moved to Elyon. His eyes looked worn and his face was aged with invisible lines.

"I don't know," said the Oracle softly. "Throughout the ages, few Guardians have been tempted by power. Those that have, either turn against Kandrakar or abandon it. But never has a Guardian sought such destruction across so many worlds.

"What Cornelia is doing is… unimaginable…" finished the Oracle, his form shrinking slightly.

"It sounds like she's steeling Hearts," said Hayden his voice made both Taranee and Elyon jump slightly, he had been so quiet they had forgotten he was there. "What can she really gain from that?"

"To understand, you must first be told about the nature of the universe," said the Oracle. He took another deep breath. "The universe is not as it appears." He held out his hands and great, vast images of space and planets whirled above him. "This is what we see, but it is a small portion of the reality around us. It is simply the top most lair of our existence."

The stars and planets bent until they were a great giant circle. "Below us," continued the Oracle. "Are the elemental planes, Air, Water, Earth, Fire and at the center, Energy." As he spoke each name, smaller concentric circles glowed into existence, inside the circle of the universe.

To Taranee it looked very much like a cross section of a planet. It was strange to think that beneath her feet were different planes of existence, made entirely of one element. Except there was nothing beneath her feet but more space. Her brow furled as her brain tried to wrap around what the Oracle was talking about.

"All Hearts are connected to these elements, they are doorways into the magic of the universe," said the Oracle. The giant circles had changed, it now looked like the round stone that was set in the center of the Heart of Kandrakar, that Taranee wore around her neck.

"Most of these doorways are small, meant to give access to only a tiny fraction of the power of the elements. The Heart of Kandrakar is the largest, giving the most access to the magic that sustains our universe.

"If someone were to control all the Hearts, there is no telling what they could do. They could bend reality to their will. Make and unmake entire galaxies… they would be a god." Finished the Oracle, the image above him shimmering away. The room was in silence for a long moment, then Elyon's voice broke the stillness.

"And you think that's what Cornelia want's," asked Elyon. "You think she wants to become a god?" The Oracle shook his head.

"I do not know," he said. "But she has taken thousands of Hearts. There is no telling how much power she has gained or what she might do with it." Again the silence pressed upon them.

It was Taranee who spoke next, the Oracle's words still unresolved in her head. "You said the elemental planes are below us, right?" The Oracle nodded. "But, that can't be right, I mean if I went strait down from where I'm standing, there's just empty space, isn't there?" A strained smile showed on the Oracle's face.

"You cannot think of them in terms of direction, but in terms of existence," said the Oracle. "The elemental plane of air is not below us. You cannot travel to it by magic or technology. You must ascend beyond your physical form."

"You mean we have to die," asked Hayden. The Oracle's eyes moved to the boy in black and he nodded ever so slightly.

"Wait!" cried Taranee. "Your saying that Will and ----, they… they're in some kind of place all filled up with Air or Fire or something?"

"Something like that," said the Oracle calmly.

"And…" Taranee was almost afraid to ask her next question. "What's the other way, what's up?"

The Oracle looked solemn again. "Up," he said, "is the Void. Pressed against our universe, held back by the thinnest layers of protection is the never ending nothingness. Given the chance it would swallow all of the infinite universe and unmake it."

"The Void changes you," said Hayden. Taranee and Elyon both looked over at him. "While I was in Rakadin I could feel it eating away at me. Every time I moved through it I could feel the never ending darkness reaching for me, like it was alive…"

Taranee looked at the Oracle. "You sent Rakadin into the Void," said Taranee. "Shouldn't it have been unmade?"

"I do not know," replied the Oracle shaking his head. "But Rakadin isn't in the Void anymore. Cornelia found a way to bring it to Earth. It has become her base of operations." Taranee looked at the Oracle with a raised eyebrow.

"We've been busy while you've been asleep," continue the Oracle.

"Is Serenity making Cornelia do this?" asked Elyon.

"It does not seem like it," said the Oracle thoughtfully. "We have seen nothing of her in our scryings. If she is there, her presence is very well hidden.

"I think the Void messed with Serenity too," interjected Hayden. "There was this one time when I overheard her screaming at the Void. She was standing on a balcony looking out into the darkness and just yelling at it.

"She was shouting for it to leave her alone, that she had her own plans. And then she threw that stone around her neck out into the Void. But when she turned around, it was back on her neck like it had never left." Hayden lapsed into silence once again and looked away from the three people staring at him.

"Maybe she wasn't talking to the Void then," said Elyon. "Maybe… maybe it's the Soul!" All eyes moved to Elyon. "What if it's the Soul that's been controlling Cornelia! I mean she started acting funny after she got that stupid thing, right?"

"Impossible," said the Oracle. "The Soul is no more capable of controlling a person then a Heart is. They are just objects of power, they have no minds or wills of their own."

"But you said the Heart chooses the keeper," said Taranee. "It picked me! It picked Will! It must have some kind of intelligence to choose us!" The Oracle shook his head.

"The elements chose you," explained the Oracle. "The Heart of Kandrakar is their manifestation in our universe. They are the ones that picked you to carry their symbol, not the Heart itself."

"And what about the Soul," asked Hayden dryly. "Do the elements pick who holds that thing?" The Oracle looked at Hayden, the slightest twitch at the side of his mouth.

"No," said the Oracle. "There is no elemental magic attuned to the Soul of Rakadin."

"Then where is its power coming from?" asked Elyon. "If Hearts draw their energy from the elements of our universe, where is the Soul getting its power?"

"I do not know," answered the Oracle yet again.

"So what do we do now?" asked Hayden. "There aren't many worlds left. Cornelia nearly has every Heart in the universe. Even if we go to protect them, how can we stand up against that kind of power?"

"I… don't know," said the Oracle, his head in his hands.

"Well I do know!" said Taranee fiercely. Everyone looked at her. "We go to Cornelia and we stop her."

"But how do we get to her?" asked Elyon. "We can't travel to Earth. No folds, no portals, no teleporting! We don't even have a spaceship that could get us there."

"We don't need to get to Earth," said Taranee. "We need to get to Rakadin. And there's a door in Kandrakar that will lead us there."

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**Hellos again everyone! Thank you everyone who stopped in to take a read of this chapter! I know quite a few of you have been asking what happened to Taranee, so here it is! And look she got her sight back! And surprise, Elyon isn't dead! You guys need to have a little more faith in me. I'm not 100% evil… more like 99.99% (repeating of course) evil :D**

**Anyhow…**

**THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!** DayDreamer9, Lexvan, XV-Dragon, Joe Habana **and** Darev. **Reviews are what I got into this gig for, to hear what people like (or don't like, that's perfectly fine too) about my stories. So seriously, thank you for taking the time to tell me what you think, it really does mean a lot to me.**

**We have one more chapter to go in this episode! And I bet you can't guess who it WILL focus on :D (well, maybe… no promises).**

**I've written like the first few lines of the next chapter, I'm falling so behind. Two weeks seems like plenty of time, but it just zooms by so darn fast for me! And next week is Mass Effect 2! Its like the world is conspiring against me!**

**Anyhow… I'm rambling now… I hope you enjoyed!**

**Starwin out!**


	8. E2 P4: Immersed in Refuge

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 2: Refuge

* * *

Part 4: Immersed in Refuge

* * *

The brilliant blue of the sky had begun to darken. Except, it wasn't the sky, the girl realized that now. From far away it had only looked like sky. But now that she had been flung towards the great blue she could clearly see what it truly was.

She sped across the boundless space, drawing ever closer to the massive shape that pretended to be the sky. Flecks of golden light raced around her, like millions of tiny sparkling fairies. She was enveloped in them and from a distance, she must have looked like a shooting star.

A long trail of golden stardust stretched out behind the girl as she flew. It was impossible to tell where the sparkling sun colored dust was coming from. Perhaps it was shooting out of the girl, like some strange rocket engine or, maybe, she was being carried upon it.

Wherever they were coming from, they seemed to be making their own light. For the sky, the girl was positive it wasn't the sky anymore, had no sun. But even with no sun, it was bright enough to be midday.

Far below her—if there was such a thing as below in this place—a wall of clouds stretched past the horizons, curving up and reaching for the thing that could not possibly be the sky. The girl had only just left it, or maybe, it had been a long time ago. She wasn't sure. After all, how did you tell time in a place with no sun and no night?

Her name was ---- --- ---- or at least it had been. She had lost her name, traded it away to the element of Air so that she could continue deeper into Death. It wasn't so bad, the girl had decided, not to have a name. She could always come up with a new one.

But none of the names she thought of seemed to stick. Each name she considered didn't feel right, didn't fit. It was like trying to push square peg through one of those stop-sign-shaped-hole-thingies… octopus-somethings… she had never been good with geography anyhow… or was it geometry?

Everything was slightly fuzzy in her head, mixed up and turned around somehow. Her life seemed so long ago, so distant, that it felt like a half forgotten dream. She had to focus, had to keep her goal in front of her. She was here for Will. She was here to find her friend and bring her back from Death!

Reflexively she glanced at her hand, it was solid once more and the pain had subsided. Back in Haven she had mistakenly grabbed a person. A person that had not been a person at all. Its skin had been made of translucent glass and inside its body burned a heart of fire.

When she'd taken hold of it, the being shattered and terrible pain—that she thought shouldn't be possible to feel in death—had surged through her body. Then her hand had become glass like, as if she were turning into one of them.

Now she was back to normal, well, as normal as one could be in her situation. Looking past her hand, the girl with no name stared at the not-sky tumbling towards her. Yes, she knew what it was. She might not know her own name anymore. Or what shapes had lots of sides. But she knew what the pretend sky really was and why it had no sun.

It was water. More water than she had ever seen in her entire life. More water than an ocean, or even a thousand oceans! It was enough water to fill the entire universe to the brim and still have enough left over to do it twice more.

She continued to soar towards the infinite ocean with increasing speed, or maybe, she was falling towards it now. What had that person in Haven said to her? Water doesn't fly, it falls? Well that certainly felt very true right now.

Her eyes swept across the endless water, from this distance she couldn't tell if there were waves on its surface or not. She didn't see any islands either, but they might as well have been as big as grains of sand from her vantage point. Briefly she wondered how far the great ocean was below her… or above her… she didn't know. Everything was upside-down now.

But she was getting closer, this much she knew. How she knew she wasn't sure. Perhaps it was the taste of salt on the air, or the distant rumble of the waves. Maybe she was just imagining all of it, and any moment she would roll out of bed and wake up back home.

The sides of the infinite ocean no longer simply stretched to the horizons, it was the horizon. The white clouds and blue ocean crashed together, pushing one another for the briefest of moments. Then the great waves rose high and the sea won.

Rolling walls of water crept up the sides of the sky. The ocean towered above the girl on every side, reaching higher and higher. Soon it did not matter which way the girl looked, every direction, save for the one she had come, were walls of ocean. It was like she was falling down a giant hole, a hole made of water!

And still, surrounded by ocean on all sides, the girl had not reached the water. The walls of the sea were so tall now that only a small circle of clouds were visible below her feet. Then in a moment even that closed and the girl was surrounded on all sides by shimmering aqua-blue water.

She should have fallen into it. But she still hadn't reached the surface. It was impossible to tell where it was, or how far above the ocean she was.

The girl suddenly realized how peaceful she felt. She didn't feel like she was falling. She didn't feel like she was flying. She felt, as-if she were suspended in the air, floating in it like water.

The ocean danced around her, light shimmering through its walls and the gentle roll of the waves on an invisible shore. She could stay like this forever… she could stay here forever.

Except, she couldn't stop. It didn't matter how peaceful this place was, or how soothing it felt. She had to keep going. She had too.

No sooner had the girl with no name thought this than she fell out of the air. With a crash, the girl slammed into the ocean below, sending an explosion of water hundreds of miles into the air.

Cold, dark, sea pressed against her on all sides, holding her tightly. The girl struggled against the weight of the ocean, trying to swim back to the surface! But she had no idea which direction that was. Only moments ago the water had been filled with sun, it had seemed so inviting, but now it felt like it was trying to crush the life out of her!

The air burned in her lungs. She couldn't believe she was about to drown here! Her arms flailed feebly in the water reaching out to grab anything… to grab anyone!

Then, as if she had wished for it to happen, someone took her hand.

With a great tug the girl with no name was yanked out of the darkness and pulled into the light. The crushing pressure ceased at once and warmth flowed over her body. She was so relieved she had been saved that she opened her mouth to speak, completely forgetting she was still underwater.

Great bubbles escaped her mouth as her air raced away in all directions, not just up.

"It's ok," said a voice from behind her. "You can breathe and talk like normal here."

The girl pushed at the water, her arms batting the ocean, turning her in a slow spiral until she faced the person who had spoken.

"You!" cried the girl, and the person who had saved her, at the exact same time. "What are you doing here?" They both asked, their words matching the others as if they were performing some long practiced comedy routine.

"Cheeseburgers," said the girl quickly before the other person had a chance to speak.

"What?"

"I just had to put an end to that silliness," said the girl waving her hand casually. "But you didn't answer my question, what are you doing here, Dragon Knight?" The boy treading water in front of the girl with no name looked somewhat taken aback by the was she addressed him.

"I have a name you know," said the boy, "it's Dante, Dante Tuberonie and I'm dead and I'm supposed to be here. But you, you shouldn't be here, you aren't dead." Dante shook his head then he turned, getting ready to swim away.

"Wait!" cried the girl with no name. "I'm sorry. I really am!" Dante stopped, his eyes finding her. "I came here looking for someone, for Will. The girl with red hair," she added seeing the blank look in Dante's eyes. "The girl you helped kidnap and brainwash."

"Whoa, look, Serenity did that," said Dante defensively. "I mean, at first we went along with her, who wouldn't? She offered us power and acceptance. She said we were special, that we were the good guys. And I believed her.

"It didn't take long to see she hadn't given us the whole truth," added Dante, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "But by that time it was too late. There was no way out of there." The girl opened her mouth to say something but Dante cut her off. "Look, I'm not proud of what I did, but I tried my best to put things right. I gave my life to stop her!"

The girl with no name looked ashamed but Dante smiled broadly.

"Don't mope about it!" said Dante. "Death isn't bad at all! I mean, it didn't really hurt, not that I can remember at least. And look at this place, it couldn't be more awesome!"

The girl glanced around. As near as she could see it was just endless ocean in every direction. It wasn't exactly how she had pictured the afterlife. She had always been told it was a place where she would meet all her friends and family who were long gone. She had been told it was a place where she would always be happy and feel loved. She had been told… many things, none of which seemed to be true…

"I just see a lot of water," said the nameless girl. Dante raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Dante asked. "Don't you see them, don't you hear them?"

Feeling as if she had overlooked something, the girl turned her head more slowly this time, but just as before all she could see was endless ocean. All she could hear was the muffled silence of the water. She shook her head.

"The only person I see is you," said the girl. "And I don't hear anything."

"Ah, well, I guess it's 'cause you're not properly dead," said Dante.

"What's that supposed to mean," asked the girl. "How do you know I'm not dead?"

"I can tell just by looking at you," replied Dante. "There is still color in your cheeks and life in your eyes." The girl had nothing to say to this so she stayed quiet. At last, after what felt a long while, Dante spoke again. "So, you said you were looking for your friend."

"Uh, yeah," said the girl hesitantly. "But what if I can't see her? What if I already passed her back in Haven? I mean, there must be loads of people I couldn't see their either!"

"I think," said Dante, sounding much more profound than he ever had in life, "that you would feel it if she was. Do you feel like she's back there?" he asked, pointing off into the distance.

The girl shook her head, "No, I feel like she is still in front of me, but not like she is right in front of me… I can't really describe it. I just know I have to go forward."

"Well, I can take you deeper into Refuge," said Dante.

"Into… where?" asked the nameless girl.

"Refuge, that's this place, the plane of water," explained Dante with a smile. "Man, you really don't know much do you."

"Hey!" the girl protested, taking an irritated, playful swing at Dante. "I made it this far didn't I? I'm not going to give up until I find Will and bring her back!"

"Then I guess we better get going," and with that Dante turned and with the slightest of kicks began to swim ahead, leading the way.

* * *

There was only one thing the girl with no name hated more than running, only one thing! How she could dislike it so much was beyond her. After all, the thing she hated involved possibly her most favorite thing in the whole world! But none the less, she hated it, she hated swimming.

It was a strange irony that the guardian of water had never really learned how to swim. Sure she knew how to keep herself a float. And when the need arose she could doggy paddle her way to solid ground.

But her preferred method of enjoying water came either in the form of a hot bath or an inflatable lounge chair drifting slowly across a calm pool surface. Swimming was less enjoyment and more… work.

She had always meant to sharpen her skills at swimming. Indeed, in the last month she had asked Will to teach her how to become a better swimmer. However, ever since they had come back from Kandrakar, Will hadn't seemed keen to get back into the pool.

The redhead had been an amazing swimmer and the girl with no name had loved to watch her friend race across the water. It was like Will had been born to swim. And the Water Guardian had always found it somewhat odd that Will hadn't been chosen as the guardian of water instead.

Except for the fact that Will really was a born leader. Carrying the Heart of Kandrakar and making the hard decisions was what Will was good at. And the girl without a name had a hard time picturing anyone else in that role.

She knew of course that right now the responsibility of leadership had fallen to Taranee. But Taranee was all alone, she had no one to lead. It seemed like Taranee had been chosen simply because someone needed to keep the Heart. Because there was no one else left to carry it.

Briefly the girl wondered what would happen when she found Will and brought her back. Would Taranee give up the Heart? Would the Heart simply go back to Will?

"Hey, water-girl! Keep up!" shouted Dante, now a good distance ahead of the girl with no name. "You swim like a… well… like a girl!"

"HEY!" shouted the girl indignantly. "I take offence to pretty much all of that!"

Dante stopped swimming, he sat there treading water, waiting for the girl with no name to catch up to him. Finally, with a few long awkward strokes she swam up along side.

"Sorry," said Dante. The girl would have responded with a well placed quip, had she not been trying to catch her breath. The mere fact that she was gulping down great breaths of air, while underwater, didn't even seem to cross her mind.

"So what should I call you," asked Dante. "I mean, I have a name for you, but every time I say it nothing comes out, like it doesn't exist."

"I… traded… it," said the girl between heaving breaths. She felt incredibly worn out now that they had stopped. Her whole body ached and her muscles burned. And the arm she had used to grab the glass person was hurting again, although it continued to look normal.

"You what?" asked Dante an expression just short of total shock on his face. "And why are you out of breath? I mean, we aren't even really swimming! There isn't even air down here!" the girl shot him a glaring look as she rested her hands against her knees.

"I traded it," she said again. "For passage from Haven. It was the only thing I had that Air wanted."

"Wait, you didn't say anything about Air," said Dante his eyes widening a little. "You mean you actually saw Air. Talked to Air!" The girl's eyes narrowed as though she thought Dante to be messing with her.

"Yeah," she replied, her breathing finally coming under control. "Doesn't everyone? I mean how did you get out of Haven?

"I just looked up at the sky," said Dante casually. "And I thought, 'that looks really nice, I wish I could go there.' Then, the next thing I knew I was carried across the sky on golden light, and here I am. I didn't have to trade anything."

"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," said the girl with no name, rolling her eyes. "Just keep swimming. I need to find Will as soon as possible so we can get out of this crazy place."

"Do you really think that?" asked Dante.

"Of course!" cried the girl with no name. "I mean I'm breathing underwater, talking underwater! I fell down from the sky into an ocean bigger than the universe. This place is crazy!"

"What?" replied Dante a confused expression on his face. "No, I meant, do you really think you can take Will out of this place. Do you really believe you can leave?"

Now that he mentioned it, the girl thought, she had never really considered that part of the plan very carefully. She had been so focused on finding Will that she had never given so much as a passing thought as to how exactly she was to bring her friend back. Or for that matter, how she was supposed to bring herself back.

"I don't know," said the girl after a moment. "But the Oracle wouldn't have let me go on this task if it was impossible…" her eyes met Dante's "…at least I don't think so…"

"This is Death were talking about," said Dante. "DEATH!" he added extra emphasis to the word. "You can't just leave any time you want. You can't just drag people back into life."

"How do you know!" said the girl irritably. "Since when did you become the authority on death?" She had started shouting, although she hadn't meant too.

"I can't explain it really," said Dante uneasily. "I just know it. I feel it."

The girl scoffed. She wondered if he really knew anything at all or if he was just distracting her from the task at hand.

"Look, we aren't far from the center of Refuge," continued Dante. "If your friend is anywhere, she's there." And without another word, Dante turned and began to swim away.

Reluctantly, the girl with no name followed after him. Her mind began to turn, trying to find a solution to the newest problem that faced her, how was she going to get out of here? The girl was so lost in thought that she didn't even think about swimming and she had no problems keeping up with Dante this time.

* * *

They had not traveled long before the girl with no name was pulled from her musings. The water had changed colors, it was no longer a light aqua. It had become darker more navy in color. It was as if the invisible sun had set. Or perhaps, because they were so deep underwater now… although, that didn't seem right.

As the girl contemplated the change in water color, something else caught her eye. Tiny distant sparkles of light, like stars, were moving towards them. Except… they weren't stars, they were… people! Or at least they looked like people. But they couldn't be people because they were made of… fire!

The girl had never seen anything like them. Living fire glided through the water all around her and Dante. They were going the opposite direction she was headed. How the fire things could swim underwater the girl had absolutely no idea!

"They look a lot different here, don't they," said Dante, calling over his shoulder.

"Different?" asked the girl, slightly confused. She had never seen anything like this!

"In Haven, their shell has solidified into glass, but while they're in Refuge they're just made of pure fire!" explained Dante. They must indeed be made of real fire, for the water around them had begun to heat up.

"Wait!" cried the girl, finally realizing what Dante was talking about. "You mean, these are the glass people I saw in Haven? But their fire was so small I could have held it in my hand!"

"A lot of it is lost in the water. By the time they get through, only a little bit is left," said Dante. "But I guess every now and then one of them gets all the way through, without losing any of its fire."

"But what are they?" asked the girl as she dodged one that had nearly hit her. They were becoming thicker now and it was hard to keep swimming. The water around them had also become boiling hot and the girl with no name felt uncomfortable.

"I have no idea," said Dante with a shrug. The girl with no name raised an uncertain eyebrow. This was the first thing he didn't seem to have an answer for. "I just know that they are thickest at the vortex. I hardly ever see any out on the rim of Refuge. Look out!"

The girl hadn't been watching where she had been going. Her hand grazed one of the fire people and terrible pain shot through her arm. It was the same arm that had nearly turned to glass in Haven.

"Don't touch them!" cried Dante, he had moved further away. The group was becoming thicker. It was almost impossible not to touch them. The girl had to stop swimming. "Get out of there! Get out of…"

They were all around her now, like a great wall of fire, trapping the girl on all sides. She could no longer see Dante, no longer hear his shouts. All she could do was curl up into a ball, hugging her knees against her chest, hoping that the things would swim around her and pass by. After all, they couldn't keep coming forever… could they?

The water had become unbearably hot. It felt like she was being cooked alive. And still, even more of the fire people came. Closer and closer.

Pain erupted in the girls arm as one of them brushed against her. She cried out. But the stinging burn did not even have time to fade before another bumped against her leg and another the top of her head.

She was going to die here. These things were going to burn her alive! And where did she go now? Did she die for real? Did she stay here? What happened when you died in death?

The girl pulled herself tighter into a ball. She had failed. She had let her guard down and she had failed!

Her whole body felt like it was on fire now. The world had dissolved into endless blinding fire. All she could see were flames. All she could feel was the terrible burning heat.

An arm suddenly forced its way around her stomach. The girl was pulled hard out of position and she could feel water and heat rushing past her. Someone was dragging her along through the water, pulling her out of the fire.

More quickly than she could have imagined, cool water touched her skin once more and the fire people had all but vanished. It was the second time someone had saved her in this place.

For the briefest of moments she thought it might be the dragon-knight-boy who had come to her rescue. The girl with no name turned her head, trying to see who had saved her. She froze, her eyes locked on the back of the head of the person still swimming her to safety. It couldn't be…

"Will!" cried the nameless girl. "Will I found you!" The redheaded savior looked back at the girl with no name and smiled weakly.

Slowly they came to a stop and the redhead release the water guardian. The moment she had been let go, the girl with no name dashed at her friend, wrapping her arms tightly around her as though she would never let her go. The girl returned the embrace, but her smile faltered slightly.

"I can't believe it!" cried the girl with no name. "We have to hurry. I have to take you back. We have to… Will, what's wrong?" for the girl with no name had just seen the sorrowful expression on her friends face.

"I'm…" said the redheaded girl, the slightest flicker of regret in her eyes. "I'm not..."

The girl with no name blinked. "Not what?" she asked. But before the redhead could answer someone called to them from below.

"You're alright!" shouted Dante as he kicked hard to catch up to them. "I thought you were done for there! Wow, you really can swim can't you!" he said looking at the redheaded girl as he came level with them.

"You're not what?" the nameless girl repeated. The redhead looked sad.

"I'm not Will," said the redhead at last. The girl with no name stared blankly at her friend. "I'm Liz, the astral drop Serenity made."

"No," said the water guardian more forcefully than she had intended, her voice cracked slightly. "No, you can't be!" she was shaking her head as-if trying to wake from a bad dream.

"But I am," replied Liz her hands taking hold of the nameless girl once more and holding her still. "I went back to Will in Kandrakar. I became part of her again. I didn't vanish into nothing. I wasn't me anymore, I was her, we were her. The same thoughts, the same feelings…" Gently, Liz held the nameless girl's cheek so that she could not look away.

"But when we came here," Liz explained, indicating the great existence of water. "Everything started to fall apart. Will began to fall apart. Pieces of myself—herself—started tumbling off. Past lives, other hers…

"I think I was the last part to go," continued Liz with a weak smile. "We held onto each other until the very end."

"Until the end!" interrupted the nameless girl with a cry.

"Until she decided to leave Refuge," said Liz quickly. "I tried to convince her not to go!" And now she sounded desperate, pleading for the water guardian to understand. "We were made to swim I told her! This is where we were born to be." Tiny bubbly tears floated out of Liz's eyes.

"She looked at me and she said, 'This is where you were born to be.' And then she and Serenity left…"

"WHAT?!" cried the girl with no name. Her hands lashed out, grabbing the redheaded girl, who—she now realized—was wearing same swimming suit Will used to race in. "Serenity? You didn't say anything about Serenity!

"Is she controlling Will? Is she leading her away? Answer me!" the girl with no name demanded. She was shouting now, anger in her eyes. She and Liz were now only inches apart.

"No," said Liz. The girl with no name felt a hand on her shoulder, Dante's hand, and she relaxed slightly.

"Sorry," said the water guardian.

"Serenity was following her," continued Liz. "She's sort of like you."

"Like me?" asked the nameless girl and expression of shock flitting through her eyes.

"She isn't dead. She doesn't belong here," said Liz shaking her head. "But I get a strange feeling from her, like she's half-dead. She was part of Will a long time ago and I think when Will died, Serenity was pulled along with her."

The girl with no name had no idea what Liz was talking about.

"It's hard to explain," said Liz. "But Will wasn't always the person you knew. She's lived past lives, each one washed away and erased by the Oracle. But they weren't gone, not completely. When we rejoined in Kandrakar, the tangles began to unravel and each life poured into our mind.

"In truth, I'm more the Will you knew then she is," explained Liz. "I'm the part of her life that was left in Heatherfield. The part that became a member of W.I.T.C.H. The part that… met you." Liz smiled at the girl with no name. The brown haired girl had no words.

"But I'm not the part you need," continued Liz. "You need Will. For that you have to leave Refuge and follow her deeper into Death."

"How," asked the girl with no name, her voice raspy.

"We must see Water," said Dante.

"There is lots of water all around us," said the nameless girl, waving her arms in blue ocean.

"No, the element of Water," said Liz.

"I still don't really understand this place," said the nameless shaking her head. "I mean, its death, I got that, but this really doesn't feel all that much different from life so far. And where is everyone, why are you the only two people I've seen in this whole underwater place?"

"I guess it's because you aren't dead," said Liz with a shrug. "We aren't really people anymore, are we?"

"What do you mean?" asked the girl. "You look like Will. He looks like that dragon-kid." The girl jerked her thumb at Dante who looked sour at the nickname. "And I look like me. How are we not real people?"

"Our bodies didn't come with us," explained Liz. "None of these forms are physical, not even yours. They are a projection of your spirit." The girl wit no name poked Liz's arm, it felt solid.

"You feel real," said the girl without a name.

"Well of course I do! I am real!" exclaimed Liz.

"But you just said…"

"I said we aren't physical. We're more like thoughts… or memories…" said Liz, stumbling to find the right word to describe themselves. "We are a part of the person we used to be in life, but we're also more than that!

"In each plane we are slightly different," said Liz thoughtfully. "In life we were physical, stuck in one life and one body. In Haven, we are free from our body but we still have a single self. And In Refuge you can try any life that was, any person that was, anything that was!

"It isn't a made up life or a dream either, but an actual life. And you don't have to do the whole thing if you don't want, just parts," continued Liz excitedly.

The girl with no name's head was spinning. She couldn't possibly have heard right. Living other people's lives? How could that possibly be true?

"It's not like traveling into their bodies or anything," explained Liz. "Its like… like having someone else's memory. No, that's not it either… I guess I can't really explain it. But experiences flow through Refuge like water. Actually, it is the water."

"So can you be anyone you want?" asked the girl with no name. "Even me?"

"Well, not you," interjected Dante. "Technically, you aren't dead, your life is still your own. But I did get to be a Sun a while back. It was interesting."

"A Sun?" asked the girl, now totally confused.

"And I gave being a tree a shot," said Liz brightly. "Although, I much prefer grass…"

"This is crazy!" cried the girl with no name. "I mean Sun's aren't even alive, how could you possibly be a giant ball of gas?!"

Dante shrugged. "Stars are born and stars die. Of course they're alive. They have lives just like everything in the universe."

"You asked what Death is like, and this is what it is," said Liz. "It's experience without bounds. The memories of the universe. Life is like recording a TV show, and Death is like playing back any TV show, any time you want. Except, you can fast-forward through the commercials. It's the chance to see all of the universe through the eyes of those who have lived within it."

"Enough," cried the girl with no name. "You're just making my head hurt! Can we just find a way out of this place so I can get to Will and go back to my life?"

No sooner had the girl said it than the water around her body began to turn. Faster and faster she spun around. Her hands reaching out and catching Dante and Liz. The three of them were caught in a powerful current, but it wasn't pulling them down.

At first the girl with no name thought the Ocean was parting, but she soon realized that it was a giant whirlpool. They hovered in the center while the water receded, floating unsupported by anything, like they were hanging on invisible strings.

Soon the walls of the giant vortex had pulled hundreds of feet away and then miles away. Even at such a great distance, the sound was deafening. It was like standing under hundreds of waterfalls. The girl felt a tug on her arm and turned her head to see Liz point up, shouting something the nameless girl couldn't hear.

Her own eyes traveled up the spinning wall of water. At first she wasn't sure what she was seeing. It looked like huge arches of water were leaping in and out of the whirl-pool, moving towards them with terrible speed.

And then the girl realized what she was seeing. It wasn't water, it was Water! It had a long scaled body, the body of a great leviathan. Without knowing how she knew, the girl with no name realized she was looking at an element. It was the same as when she had seen Air in Haven.

This was no spirit or avatar of an element, it was the element. It was Water that she was looking at. Water given shape and form. Water made to live.

Quickly the giant serpent rushed down the churning water, diving in and out of the sides as it went. Its long body continued until it was out of sight. If Water had an end, the girl with no name could not see it.

The element dived one last time. The girl with no name could make out its great head behind the liquid curtain in front of her. Even through the water she could see its great crystal blue eyes and its powerful jaws.

The head erupted out of the side of the whirl-pool, sending water flying in all directions. It could easily have swallowed the three of them whole, but it stopped a short distance away.

"So Air spoke the truth," said Water, its great eyes gazing at the girl with no name. "My Guardian has indeed entered Death, and she still lives." The nameless girl had no words, she was frozen with a sudden irrational fear.

"Speak little one," said Water with a smile that showed razor sharp teeth, just as large as the girl.

"She is looking for her friend!" cried Liz. "She wants to travel on to the next plane!"

"Oh," said Water, not sounding surprised at all. "I have heard you came in search of someone. The living should let the dead rest. But…" and here Water looked thoughtful. "You are my Guardian. I am your element. It is our purpose to help each other.

"I shall let you pass," said Water after a moments pause. The girl with no name smiled appreciatively but the smile did not stay long as Water continued to speak. "However, I cannot let you go without payment."

The girl felt a lump in her throat. Air had wanted and taken her name. What could Water possibly ask of her? What did she have left for it to take?

"I want your tears of sorrow Water Guardian," said Water kindly. "So that you do not have to cry anymore." The girl was about to ask what Water meant, but a great clawed hand rushed out at her.

With the gentlest of movements the tip of a clawed finger wiped a single tear from the girl's eye. Except, it didn't feel like a single tear, it felt like all her tears were being pulled out of her. Like all her sadness she had been carrying inside was vanishing.

"Now you may go," said Water.

"Good luck," whispered Liz, with a sideways hug. The girl with no name looked at her with surprise. She had come so far to find her, how could her friend just abandon her like this. But then she realized that Liz wasn't the person she was looking for. The person she was seeking was Will and she was still a long way off from the feel of things.

The memories of loss made her… well, they didn't make her feel any different actually. It was the first time thoughts of Will didn't choke her up or cause the uncomfortable tightness in her chest.

"I hope you find your friend," said Dante, he had not moved to touch her, while Liz still held the nameless girl in her arms. "Be careful."

Before the girl could ask what he meant, Liz released her. And before the girl could think anything else, she was falling again, racing towards the bottom of the whirl-pool and hopefully, towards Will.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**What's up everyone!?! However you been? Hopefully a good couple of weeks since we saw each other last. Well, figuratively speaking… It's been downright hectic for me. I've been leaving at 7AM and getting home after 9PM most days these last few weeks… sigh… work. An unfortunate evil if ever there was one.**

**As you might imagine, its been quiet difficult to find time to write. Honestly, I'm surprised I got this chapter out at all! I'm working right up to the deadline today, about to head out in the next 20 mins…**

**But first, and most importantly! THANK YOU REVIEWERS!** Joe Habana, Lexvan, DayDreamer9, XV-Dragon **and** Darev**! I know my usual replied didn't make it out this time and I apologize for my lack of diligence. But please know that your words keep me going in the darkest of times. I often take to reading them again when things get tough.**

**And let's not forget… THANK YOU READERS! This story is one of my most traveled (except my first work, which, for the life of me I can't figure out how people are still finding! Or even why they would want to read it! I certainly can't… so full of mistakes and such…)**

**Anyhow… tangent aside…**

**I better wrap this up, places to go, people to see… another busy day. No rest for the wicked I guess.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I do have a lot of notes about it, but, well, I've rambled on with a lot of other stuff and these ANs need to come to a close. So I leave you with this thought… pie… delicious apple pie…**

**Starwin Out.**


	9. E3 P1: Heroes in Rakadin

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 3: Oasis

* * *

Part 1: Heroes in Rakadin

* * *

Terrible darkness pressed in upon the silver dragon from all sides. The universe was torn open and the dragon fell through the gap, escaping into the Void. The world of Metamoor spun away to nothing, quickly fading into the tiniest of dots. In a moment more it was but a pin-prick in an immense shadowy curtain of never ending emptiness.

The dragon soared through the darkness, crossing over infinite space as if it were simply inches. Its mission complete, the heart of Metamoor safely in its jaws, the beast was returning home, to Rakadin. Despite the protests from the girl trapped within.

Her name was Hay Lin, former Guardian of Air, and she was a prisoner inside the metal body of a dragon. Except that wasn't right. The dragon's body was her body. Changed. Transformed. Made different by powerful magic.

She existed within the monster, but she was the monster and it was her. There were moments when she saw through its eyes. And there were times when she vanished completely inside it.

This had not been one of those times. Hay Lin had been forced to watch as her monstrous form attacked her friends… killed her friends! For she knew she must have killed Elyon! She had literally ripped out her heart!

The terrible thoughts of what she had done consumed her. Hay Lin screamed without sound as the dragon's jaw remained clamped around the stolen gem. She struggled harder then she had ever done before, but the bonds of metal that bound her did not give. Her fists, though not actual fist, lashed out, striking all they could reach.

And something strange happened to the dragon prison that carried her. It froze like a statue. The eerie blue light in its eyes flickered and went out. Still and motionless it tumbled through the Void as if it had been turned to stone.

A terrible feeling pressed upon the girl inside the monster. It was like dying! She felt like she was dying! And although she hated herself for thinking it, she welcomed death. Perhaps the monster would die with her and it would all end!

Hay Lin closed her eyes waiting for the moment to come. But nothing happened. Cautiously she lifted an eyelid before shutting it just as fast. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible! Anything, anything else than this! Not this! Not again!

She had returned to her dream world. The place she so frequently escaped to. Except, this wasn't a dream. This wasn't a world where she was in control of what happened. This, was a memory.

She had not gone to her "happy place". There were no fields of golden grass here. There was no friendly blue sky above her. And there was no playful wind to hold her.

This place was dark, uninviting and filled with pain. She had come to Shell Cave. She had come to the day her world had ended. This was the worst day of her life.

The entrance loomed above her, its mouth open like jaws waiting to eat her. Hay Lin did not enter. She wanted nothing more than to run away. She knew who was waiting inside for her. She could not do this again. She could not face…

Hay Lin turned away, she would run! She would run as fast as her feet would take her! She would go as far away as she could get! But to her horror, she found that behind her was not the open sand of the beach on which Shell Cave sat, but Shell Cave itself!

Behind had become in front! She had turned away but she was still looking into the foreboding entrance of Shell Cave. Turning on the spot, Hay Lin discovered that every direction led to the same place. The place she did not want to go.

"Come on!" echoed a voice from inside the cave. The words were not meant for Hay Lin. The person was not calling to her. Hay Lin wanted more than anything to leave. She wanted more than anything not to go into the cave, not to meet the person she knew she would find inside.

Hay Lin gave an involuntary whimper and her feet began to walk. It wasn't fair! In her mind she should have been in control! This was her dream world! Her escape! But it seemed this memory that haunted her would not just let her walk away.

The light of the outside world faded into shadows and Hay Lin was left in semi-darkness for a brief moment. Then a flashlight flickered into existence, its narrow beam blinding Hay Lin for a second before it turned downwards.

"Hay Lin!" cried the person holding the light. "You startled me! I… I didn't know you were down here." The other girl's words sounded nervous as if she had been caught in some indecent act. The girl with the flashlight was in a dark blue one-piece swimming suit, her brown hair was still damp.

There was an irrepressible pang of jealousy inside Hay Lin that she pretended she didn't feel. Many times she had invited this girl to come to the beach with her. And many times the girl holding the flashlight had refused. But now, she had come. Worse she had done it at the behest of someone else! Of someone Hay Lin did not trust…

"I followed you," replied Hay Lin, her tone flat. "I followed both of you." The girl with the flashlight frowned slightly.

"You… followed us?" asked the brown haired girl confusion in her voice. "Why would you…"

"Because **we're** best friends!" cried Hay Lin, ignoring the question. Painful emotion was overwhelming her instinct not to speak, not to relive this terrible moment. "But I haven't even seen you once since we got back from Kandrakar!"

"I've been busy," replied the other girl casually, as if she could care less. "I've been taking care of Will. She needs me…"

"And what about me?" snarled Hay Lin. She could feel the anger of this memory slowly consuming her. "She abandoned us! She gave up, after all we went through!" Her words were spilling from her mouth now, as if some great dam had broken.

"It was all for nothing!" hissed Hay Lin. "We didn't get Will back. We got some broken doll that looks like her. She doesn't care about us. She doesn't care about being a Guardian!"

The other girl stayed silent. When Hay Lin had spoken the words, she had not seen the anguish building in the other girl's eyes. She had not seen the pain she was causing the person who was once her best friend. But now, every time she relived this memory, it was the only things she was aware of. Even the words she was now shouting had been burned away by the hurt on the other girls face.

"She doesn't care about what happened to Taranee, or that it's getting worse! She doesn't even care about what happened to Matt!" Hay Lin was shouting now, her own voice ringing in her ears as it echoed around the cave. "Cornelia refuses to talk to her about it, and she's becoming more distant too! She doesn't care about the team at all!"

"The only thing she seems to care about it you!" and there was a bitterness in Hay Lin's voice that even she had never heard before. Silence passed between them as the last accusation lingered in the air. "I want to know. I want you to tell me," there was a pleading look, deep in Hay Lin's eyes.

"Are you still my best friend?" asked Hay Lin as she choked out the last of her rant. Her throat horse and her chest heaving with anguish

There was confusion in the brown haired girl's eyes.

"Are you!" Hay Lin demanded, her words louder than any she had shouted so far.

The other girl paused before speaking in words that were too painful for Hay Lin to even remember. Words that had been blocked out with such force that even this nightmarish memory could not recount them.

But the absence of the words did not stop the pain that burned inside Hay Lin. Nor did it dull the feeling that her heart had been ripped from her chest. Tears of rage rolled down Hay Lin's face, her whole body trembled.

"I hate you!" Hay Lin muttered through gritted teeth. "I HATE YOU! YOU STUPID, UGLY…" she stammered for a moment trying to find an insult great enough "…SLUT!" she shouted, echoes repeating it a thousand times.

The other girl's eyes narrowed and the pain was replaced with anger. Hay Lin felt it before she knew what had happened. A hand had struck her, slapped her. The fire on her cheek hurt worse than any burn she had ever gotten.

"Leave," said the brown haired girl her voice unnaturally calm. "I never want to see you again. I never want to hear from you again. I just want you to go away." Her own eyes burning with pain, Hay Lin took one last look at the girl she once loved beyond all others, and ran from her.

Deeper and deeper into the darkness Hay Lin fled until there was no light at all. With a stumble she collapsed on the cave floor, sobs choking her throat. She wanted it to go away. She wanted it to all just go away!

And to her great surprise, it did! The world of nightmares dissolved around her, melting away just like it had when Cornelia had pulled her out of the dream world back on Earth.

Except… it wasn't like that at all! She wasn't free! Hay Lin had not escaped the terrible memories, for she stood once more in front of Shell Cave and heard the shouted words that were not meant for her.

* * *

Kandrakar had never seemed so crowded. Elders lined every hallway, their heads bowed in silent admiration for the procession passing in front of them. Four people marched in a line, each one looked somber and none of them spoke.

Last in the group, the smallest person of all was Elyon, Queen of Meridian. She had come within an inch of death. The Heart of her world had been torn from her body. And her magic had been devastated, if not broken entirely. However, she refused to remain behind.

Just in front of Elyon walked a solemn faced boy, his black clothing contrasting sharply with the white walls and robes of Kandrakar. He was Hayden, former enemy of the Guardians and the wielder of the terrible powers of death. He had neither begged to come, nor spoken against going. He had simply followed in silence.

In the middle of the pack was Taranee: Mistress of Fire, Guardian of Kandrakar and newest Keeper of the Heart. She was also the last Guardian and the only defense the universe had left. This suicide mission had been her idea.

At the head of the group, his long white robes flowing around him, was the Oracle. Both title and name, he was the leader of Kandrakar, the most powerful of the elders. He could see what no mortal could imagine. And much to their surprise, he led the charge towards Earth.

Never once could Taranee recall the Oracle leaving Kandrakar and certainly never to go on a mission. Yet he had been determined to come, just like Elyon. Taranee hadn't tried to talk either of them out of it, she needed all the help they could get.

They were about to venture to Earth. They were about to travel through the most hostile environment in existence. And they were about to storm Rakadin, fortress of evil and darkness.

In all honesty, Taranee didn't think that any amount of help would be enough.

The group reached a seemingly unimportant spot. Yet, here the elders parted from the wall and blocked the way, standing in a perfect circle as if this lonesome place in the middle of the hallway were a great throne.

The three teens spread out around the Oracle and with a grand sweeping gesture he raised his hand towards the ceiling above. The air shuttered violently and then, the four of them began to fall into the sky.

None of them yelled as the clouds raced past them. No shouts of terror or excitement escaped their lips as they tumbled through the air. The fall was brief and an instant later they landed softly on smooth marble once more.

There were no other people here, just the four of them. The room they had landed in was small. A domed ceiling rose high above them. There were no holes in it, no way for them to have just fallen through it. Yet they had done just that, as if by magic.

Taranee's eyes swept down from the ceiling until they fixed on the only blemish in all of Kandrakar. A great black door stood shut at the far end of the room. Black burn marks spread out around the door, as if a furnace burned beyond it. But the thing behind the door was not fire. If it had been flames Taranee would not have feared it.

With a frown, Taranee balled her fists. She did not fear it. She was not afraid of the darkness anymore. She had seen true darkness, felt its power to take her sight. And she had beaten it, she had seen through the darkness.

"Are you sure you want to come," asked the Oracle, his eyes found Elyon, but the question was for all of them. "Once we pass beyond this door into the Void, there is no turning back. Once we reach Earth, there will be no escape."

Taranee held out her hand to Elyon. The queen took it without hesitation. "What choice do we have," asked Taranee. Elyon held her hand out to Hayden, who paused a moment before taking it. "We cannot let this continue." The Oracle held his hand out to Hayden and he took hold. "We must act! We must fight! We must win!"

The doors rumbled open as Taranee began to move towards them, Elyon's hand holding tightly to her own. They marched forward, Taranee's golden eyes staring into the darkness as if she could see through it.

Great tendrils of shadow bled off the darkness beyond the door. They swirled in the air like smoke before evaporating into nothing. Taranee did not stop, did not pause. Her eyes wide and her fire burning, she plunged into the Void.

* * *

Empty nothingness attacked Taranee from all sides. She felt like she no longer existed. Like she had shut her eyes and stopped being! But there was someone else's hand in her own. That small feeling of another person reminded her that she still was, that she must be!

She squeezed the hand tightly and it squeezed back. She could do this. She was stronger than this place, this thing! Taranee's eyes opened wide, wider than she had ever opened them before. Her fire-sight ignited into existence although she had not summoned it.

The darkness seemed to recoil slightly, almost as if the fire-sight produced a tangible flame. But even with her fire-sight, Taranee could see nothing. There was no fire here, the Void was truly empty and lifeless.

However, Taranee did not surrender. Her eyes searched back and forth, seeking the smallest glimmer, the most distant sparkle. And as she stared into the endless nothing, she saw it. Fainter than the most distant star, invisible to all but her.

Changing direction, she pulled and they followed. Deeper into the Void she moved, shrugging off the pressing emptiness. It tried to pull at her, to slow her down, to stop her.

The light was becoming larger now, brighter. Her pace quickened so that she was almost running. The doorway, the exit, freedom glowed in front of them. And an instant later she was pulling them free of the Void, out into the light.

Her foot stepped out of the darkness and on to… nothing! Taranee knew something was wrong even before she knew what it was. She toppled forward, falling out of the Void. The hand holding hers tightened and held her fast.

She was no longer in the Void, she was on Earth, dangling in the air, thousands of feet above the ground. Below her a great storm roared with thunder. Wind crashed into her from every side.

Taranee glanced up and saw possibly the strangest sight she had ever seen. Elyon was holding on to her, keeping her from falling. Yet, how Elyon was not falling herself seemed impossible.

The young queen stood in what looked to be a door way, ripped from its wall and hung out in the air. While the door was very wide, there was only just enough room on the ledge for Elyon to stand, half emerged from the Void.

For the doorway did not open into the sky. Like the doors in Kandrakar it was latched to the Void and terrible darkness rolled out of it.

With her free hand Taranee grabbed hold of the bottom of the door way. The wind raced around them blowing hair and clothing in all directions. Their shouts could hardly be heard over the wind.

While Elyon tried to keep Taranee from falling she tugged at the people still stuck in the Void. Hayden emerged first, his face pale. But Elyon was quick enough to keep him from falling too, and he stood balanced precariously on the ledge next to her.

At last the Oracle appeared from the darkness, squeezing into the last standing place.

"We have to jump!" shouted the Oracle, his voice barely audible over the wind. Not waiting for protest, he leapt off the ledge. Hayden, who had half jumped, and Elyon who hadn't moved at all, were both dragged down with him.

Taranee was not nearly strong enough to hold on to both the ledge and three people. In the split second she made her choice and let go of the door, rather than risk letting go of her friends.

Screams escaped their lips as they plummeted out of the sky still holding tightly to one another. The Oracle's white robes flapped wildly about his arms and legs. Calmly he close his eyes, as if making his peace before he smashed into the ground far below.

The four people fell from the sky, faster and faster. In moments they had passed through the white fog of the clouds, only to see more clouds far below. There was no sign of ground, no place to land.

They continued to fall. The clouds were rushing up at them, drawing closer every second. How far was the ground below them? How would they stop?

But something else drew Taranee's attention. In front of them a large dark structure floated on the backs of the clouds. It was a great dark shadowy mass of towers and stone.

Deep green plant vines hung off its sides. The building looked… wrong. Not because it was floating in the sky. Not because it was made entirely of black marble. But because it looked nothing like it should have. It was no longer a mirror of Kandrakar, it had become something else.

Taranee could only just make out great flower buds hanging off the vines. They were blue and purple in color and none of them had bloomed. She couldn't possibly imagine what kind of flower could grow so large.

The Oracle brought his hands to his side and they began to fall slower. Their movement slanted and they were no longer falling, they were gliding towards the overgrown castle.

Taranee fixed her gaze on the massive structure ahead of them. Moments ago it had seemed tiny, but now… now it was bigger than anything she had ever seen.

They were almost level with the clouds and had stopped falling. Now they skimmed along the tops of the gray clouds. It was as-if the enormous structure was pulling them in.

Suddenly the clouds below them ended abruptly. A huge empty space, like a moat, parted castle and clouds. They could see that the castle was not floating. It sat atop a great plant stalk. It extended to the ground far below and supported the castle like some sinister black flower.

Below, Taranee could see the city of Heatherfield was still and silent. There were no cars racing along its roads. No lights from the many houses. Her heart sunk, they were already too late.

Taranee's eyes snapped up just in time to see the balcony on which they were about to land rush up at her. The impact was hard, they had still been moving very fast when they came in contact with the ground. Taranee felt her feet slide out from under her and she rolled with a painful thud into the stone wall.

The Oracle had used his magic to brace himself and had only slid a few feet, but remained standing. Hayden missed the landing spot completely, crashing into the edge and only just managing to hang on. And Elyon slammed into the Oracle's back before bouncing off.

She started to topple backwards, her feet moving dangerously close to Hayden's hands, but the Oracle grabbed her and pulled her upright. Then with his other hand he helped Hayden up.

They had made it, they were in Rakadin! A cold shiver ran down Taranee's spine. Now that they were here, this plan seemed more and more reckless.

Getting to her feet, Taranee's golden eyes searched the sky, finally spotting the dark spot that must be the doorway they had fallen through. How they would ever get back up there, she didn't know.

If she had been her normal self, that plummet out of the sky might have killed her, or badly injured her at the very least. But as a guardian and now Keeper of the Heart, the fall hadn't even left a bruise.

"Alright," said Taranee. She was surprised that her voice was so steady. "Let's find Cornelia and put an end to this!"

* * *

"No more!" Hay Lin cried. "Please no more!" She was on her knees, huddled in the darkness. How many times she had been forced to endure this terrible memory over and over, she no longer knew.

It was impossible to count the endless iterations. Memory blurred with reality the moment it started. All too quickly Hay Lin would forget that it wasn't real, that it was just a dream. Her mind would scream for her to wake, while her thoughts explained she had to stay.

Each reliving was worse than the previous, worse than the real event had been. Every time she begged for it to end, as if some great unseen hand were pulling her strings. But each time the memory simply reset and begun anew. Any moment now she would be whisked away to stand once more in front of Shell Cave. Then it would start all over again.

Except, this time she had not been taken back to the entrance. In fact, she hadn't moved at all. She was still sitting in the dark, still sobbing into her hands. It had never taken this long for things to reset. Perhaps the memory thought more time for her to feel the impact of the events was needed?

But Hay Lin didn't think so! Something was wrong, something was different. Even as she worked to stifle her unrelenting tears Hay Lin knew that this was not right, not the same. The memory should have reset—not that she wanted it to—but it hadn't…

Working to her feet, choking down her sobs, Hay Lin reached out her small hands and found damp, slimy stone. She began to feel her way through the darkness, uneven rock sliding along beneath her fingers.

A new fear began to rise inside her. It was irrational! She felt like she was trapped, not inside of a memory, but inside the cave itself! But the cave wasn't real! She wasn't even really inside it! How could she possibly be afraid of something that wasn't?

Yet all the same she could not rid herself of the symptoms of panic. Her hands shook and her heart beat was wild in her throat. There was no way out! She was lost forever! Her parents would never find her! Why had she wandered away? Why hadn't she stayed close to them on the beach?

Tears were rolling down her face now. Hot tears of fear. Her foot caught on a jagged rock she could not see. Hay Lin tumbled forward, scraping her hands and knees on the stone floor. Her crying became louder. She couldn't control it!

A glowing star flickered into existence in the darkness. At first it was faint, but as it danced up and down its light became brighter and brighter until at last Hay Lin was bathed in it!

It was so bright that Hay Lin had to squint and hold up her hand to keep it from blinding her. Then a voice spoke from behind the light. It was confident, and kind, and comforting.

"Are you alright?" Hay Lin could just barely make out the face of a young girl standing behind the light. She had short brown hair, tied off in two pig tails. Her one-piece bathing suit was turquoise. From her size, she couldn't be much older than five.

The young girl held out a hand to Hay Lin, in offer to help her up. Hay Lin, lifted her dirty hands and was surprised to find that they were much smaller than she should have been. Realization finally dawned on her.

This wasn't the same memory! This was a very, very, different memory! This was the best moment of her life, this was the happiest moment of her life! This was the day she met…

"I'm Irma Lair!" proclaimed the girl confidently, as she took hold of Hay Lin's hand. "And I know the way out!" Shyly Hay Lin smiled. With a great effort, Hay Lin was helped to her feet.

"I'm Hay Lin," said Hay Lin softly. "Thanks for finding me."

"Your name is Hay?" asked the brown-haired girl in surprise. Hay Lin felt her cheeks go red. Other children often made fun of her name. "That's pretty cool! Come on Hay-Hay!" and Hay Lin felt the other girl tug her along, pulling her out of the cave, bringing her back into the light!

The darkness dissolved away as if it had never been and they stood on Shell Beach. The warm sun glowing down on them. Her new friend smiling just as bright as the sun at Hay Lin. It was the memory of the happiest moment of her life.

But it lasted for only and instant. The crushing darkness of the Void returned. The dragon's eyes glowed blue. Hay Lin was ripped from her dream world, imprisoned inside the metal shell once more as it resumed its race towards Rakadin.

* * *

Taranee moved in the middle of the pack, holding flames in her hand and lighting the way as they ventured deeper into Rakadin. The going was not as easy as she had hoped. Thick vines impeded their progress. The ground, which should have been solid stone, was mud-like and difficult to move through.

Rakadin was windowless, and had it not been for Taranee they would be stumbling through the darkness. But even without windows, Rakadin was unnaturally dark, as if it absorbed light. The light from the fire in her hand did not extend out as far as it should have.

Even worse than the darkness was the lack of resistance. At each turn they kept expecting to run into one of Cornelia's minions, maybe even a dragon at the very least. But Rakadin was empty, save for themselves.

This absence of anyone except for them only served to increase their fear. It meant there was danger here that they could not even see! Perhaps the shadows might leap out to take them at any moment!

Hayden was doing his best to guide them towards the throne room, the chamber that seemed most likely to contain the ruler of Rakadin. But he was having a hard time. The castle had become so over grown that sometimes even the walls weren't visible. Twice, they had walked right past an intersection they'd needed to take and not known it.

Taranee tried to use her fire-sight, but it wouldn't work. It was like now that she had gotten her normal sight back she no longer had command over her powers of fire-sight. Briefly she debated asking the Oracle about it, but she didn't feel comfortable speaking here. She felt like any sound might give them away.

"I think we're getting close," whispered Hayden as he pushed a thick vine aside. Eerie blue light was flickering through the tangles ahead. But it turned out that the light was not Cornelia. It was a flower bud, much like one of the larger ones they had seen outside, except this one was much smaller.

Elyon reached out a hand towards the glowing bud. The petals shifted, slowly unfurling as if it were about to bloom. Taranee grabbed Elyon's hand, holding her back.

"What are you doing?" Taranee hissed. "Don't touch it!" Elyon seemed to snap from some kind of trance. Taranee was sure she could see a distant blue light reflected in Elyon's eyes. The young Queen blinked rapidly as though waking from a day dream. When her eyes found Taranee once more, the unnatural reflection was gone.

"Huh?" she asked. Too late Taranee turned to see Hayden reaching for another flower that had begun to glow.

"No!" Taranee shouted, much louder than she meant to. But his hand had already brushed it. Instantly, the plants came to life around them. Hayden's whole hand became wrapped in vines. Taranee felt something grab her foot. Elyon let out a cry of panic as one of the plants ensnared her waist.

The flowers were coming to life too. They moved through the air like serpents, their blossoms opening and closing like a many jawed mouth. And at the center of each flower was a jagged, spiral, spike.

One of the flowers lunged at Taranee, the point directed towards her heart. But it bounced off some invisible barrier. Other flowers were trying to get through too, but they couldn't. It was almost like there was some great bubble around her.

Glancing over her shoulder Taranee saw the Oracle, his eyes closed and hands clasped, making a strange symbol in the air. The movements of his hands lingered in silvery light as he drew with his fingers. She could feel the magic tingling against her skin and knew that it was the Oracle who had created a shield to protect them.

"Time to turn up the heat," said Taranee, the torch light burning at her hands erupting into fireballs.

"Really?" said Elyon, tugging at one of the vines that was holding her captive. "That was a terrible pun! Just burn the stupid things!"

Taranee clasped her hands together, the element of fire becoming more and more intense. She focused her magic into a single spot between her palms. Then she pulled her hands apart and a great wave of fire erupted outwards. The flames cascaded along the ground, vaporizing the plants in a huge area in front of them.

With a flare of her own powers, Elyon disintegrated some of the plants entangling her.

On the other side the plants around Hayden began to wilt rapidly. The vines sagged, turning brown and brittle. With a swift kick and a crack he had cleared the last of the ensnaring plants away from them.

"What were you two thinking," Taranee asked, as she shot another blast of fire at one of the vines that was still wriggling towards them on the floor. "Those things could have killed us!"

"Sorry," said Elyon, looking apologetic. "I'm not sure what came over me. I just saw that pretty glowing light and I couldn't look away. It felt like it was pulling me in, forcing me to pick it."

"All my thoughts became fuzzy," added Hayden rubbing his head. "The only thing I wanted to do was pick the flower."

Taranee looked between them thoughtfully. She hadn't felt any urge to touch the flowers. Why hadn't she been affected? A strange thought crossed her mind. What if her new eyes somehow protected her? But that was ridiculous.

Movement drew Taranee's gaze to the Oracle. He was no longer maintaining the shield spell but was now stooping low to the ground. He was pulling something out of the mud. For one terrible moment, Taranee thought it was another flower, and that the floor beneath their feet might erupt with vines again. But it was not.

When he lifted it for them all to see, Taranee and Elyon gasped. She hadn't realized what it was until just now. It was a Void Stone! The weapon Phobos had used against Elyon back on Meridian. The weapon that had stolen her Heart and had almost killed her!

"Now we know where Cornelia got them from," said the Oracle as he turned the stone over in his hand, examining it.

"The plants grow them?" Elyon asked, moving away slightly. The Oracle shook his head.

"Nothing in our universe could possibly create these," explained the Oracle. "No, the plants harvest them, from Rakadin." The Oracle was met with blank expressions, so he continued. "Rakadin sat in the Void for thousands and thousands of years. In that time, it has become saturated with Void energy. Rakadin is more a part of the Void than it is a part of our universe.

"However, it is very odd," said the Oracle thoughtfully. "Because there's only just enough Void energy to be stored in Rakadin and not enough to dissolve it into nothing. It's almost as if someone… planned this."

"Serenity?" asked Hayden uncertainly.

"Perhaps… I'm not sure," replied the Oracle. "I don't think even Serenity has that kind of power, to bend the Void to her commands."

"It must be!" said Elyon determinately. "She must be the one who turned Cornelia against us! Who else would know how to make these things!" she pointed at the stone in the Oracles hands. "I bet you that when we find Cornelia, Serenity will be standing right behind her, whispering in her ear!" The Oracle shook his head again.

"Again, I do not know," he said, and dropped the stone back into the soggy earth, where it sank like lead into the mud. "We should keep moving. No doubt someone is now aware of our presence, if they weren't already."

Taking a moment to get his bearings, Hayden led them on once more, careful to avoid the plants as best they could. Whenever they saw another flower, Taranee would burn it to ash before they got too close. She wasn't taking any more chances.

But avoiding the plants soon proved to be impossible. The vines only got thicker and thicker the further in they went. The Oracle seemed to think this was a good sign, indicating that Cornelia would certainly be at the thickest spot.

However it was becoming harder to progress. At last they came to a section that was so thick, there would be no way through but to burn a hole right down the center.

So, focusing her power over fire, Taranee did just that, except… the hole only remained a second before the vines re-grew, even thicker than before. She tried again, pouring more power into it and scorching to the walls.

This lasted slightly longer, but when the vines grew back this time they were blackened, as if they had already been burned. Razor pointed thorns jutted out from them at all angels. When Taranee tried to burn them again, they did not burn at all.

"Well," said Hayden, cracking his knuckles. "I suppose it's time for a little death."

"No," said the Oracle calmly. The group looked at him. "It is obvious that these are not normal plants."

"What gave it away?" asked Elyon sarcastically. "Was it when they tried to strangle us?"

The Oracle continued as if he had not heard her. "They seem to have the ability to adapt to whatever attacks them."

"So what?" asked Hayden.

"If they have become immune to fire, than your magic may be the only defense we have against them later. We need to find another way through," replied the Oracle. "A way that does not involve destroying them…"

"And what do you recommend?" asked Elyon, her voice oddly irritated. "Maybe we should ask them nicely to move for us? Or how about we crawl through the spiked thorns? Or, maybe, we could continue to wander aimlessly through the halls?" Her gaze landed meaningfully on Hayden.

"At least I'm doing something!" said Hayden a mean curl of dislike at the edge of his lips. "All you've done so far is complain!" Elyon's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't have come along, you hardly have any magic left!"

"Oh, I'll show you what I can do!" said Elyon, pushing up her sleeve.

"Stop it!" shouted Taranee her own temper rising. "You both need to calm down!"

"Quiet, all of you," whispered the Oracle, his voice calm.

"Don't tell me to be quiet!" snapped Taranee.

"I hear something." the Oracle said. The argument stopped abruptly. The silence of Rakadin settled over them like a heavy blanket. At first the only sound Taranee could hear was her own uneven breathing. But then, distant and echoing, she heard it. She wasn't sure what it could be.

Without warning the Oracle took hold of Taranee's arm, causing her fire to go out. Instantly the hallway was filled with an eerie blue glow that seemed to come from the plants.

The Oracle whispered something that Taranee didn't catch. Reluctantly Hayden and Elyon took hands before Hayden grabbed Taranee. She was about to protest but the strangest sensation had started to spread over her. It felt like cold water was rolling down her body. But even stranger than that, the Oracle had begun to vanish before her eyes and so was she!

The spell crawled from the Oracle, down her arm, and across her body. Watching in disbelief, Taranee saw herself fade out of existence. In a moment more she had turned invisible. Behind her Elyon and Hayden were nothing more than transparent ghosts and then, they were gone too!

The sound was getting very close now. Taranee strained her eyes, trying to see the source of the noise. However, the darkness of Rakadin was so thick it was like a fog, and Taranee could hardly make out the floor below her, let alone anything else.

The walls echoed with the sound now. Perhaps the noise was in the walls! But still it did not pass them, still it became louder.

Then, out of the darkness, two piercing blue eyes burned into existence. They hovered low to the ground, swaying back and forth slightly as its unseen body moved towards them. A long silver dragon emerged out of the darkness. Its terrible face the first visible part beyond its eyes.

Elyon gasped and it took all of Taranee's might to keep from crying out. It was Hay Lin, or at least the beast that had Hay Lin trapped inside.

The dragon stopped abruptly, its eyes turning to the spot where Elyon stood, hidden and invisible. The blue fire eyes lingered on them for a long moment. The dragon did not move.

What if they had to fight her? What if they had to kill her? Taranee didn't know if she could. She didn't feel like she could… But the dragon seemed to decide it hadn't heard anything at all, and continued on, making a strait line for the thick black thorn wall.

It was as the dragon passed right in front of them that Taranee's eyes saw what was in Hay Lin's jaws. The glowing heart of a world was clenched in her teeth. And not just any world, it was the Heart of Metamoor.

Why hadn't Hay Lin given it to Cornelia yet, Taranee wondered. It had been taken more than a month ago! Had Cornelia let Hay Lin keep it? That didn't seem right at all.

As the Dragon approached the vines, the plants began to pull away, receding into the walls and clearing a path. Taranee felt a tug at her arm, the Oracle had begun to move. Taranee followed, pulling Hayden and Elyon along in tow.

They walked on silent feet, staying close behind the dragon. The moment they were clear, the vines began to close behind them. Taranee hoped that Elyon would not get trapped in them.

Briefly, Taranee bordered on the edge of trying to communicate telepathically with her comrades. But, her telepathy had always been strongest with the other guardians. If she used it, it might be Hay Lin or Cornelia who would hear her.

The last of the vines parted like a great curtain. Massive black oak doors towered above them, its silver handles sparkling menacingly in the darkness. Then, without a sound, the doors opened, pulling back like the vines had, as if it had sensed the dragon's presence.

For a moment Taranee wasn't sure what she was looking at. Rising up from the floor was a large, black, pointed, pyramid, twice as tall as she was. Wrapped around the stone structure were massive thorned plants, crisscrossing each other to make what looked like a giant throne.

And sitting on the throne, staring down at them, clad in silver metal that looked less like armor and might just have been her skin, was Cornelia. Her black eyes stared at them and there was a mirthless grin on her face.

Behind Cornelia, her upper body hanging out of the vines was the motionless form of Serenity. Her mask was gone from her pale face and her silver hair hung down on either side. She did not look towards them or move at all.

"At last," exclaimed Cornelia in a voice that made Taranee shiver. "The final two Hearts have arrived!"

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**Those two weeks just flew by didn't they? No? Well they did for me! It seems like only yesterday… **

**THANK YOU REVIEWERS: **Lexvan, DayDreamer9, Joe Habana, XV-Dragon, Darev **and** Dark Yellow Dino**! Exceptional reviews everyone! It really makes my day to read them! I'm already a little excited to see what the responses are to this chapter because I enjoy hearing from you all so much!**

**AND thank you READERS! Your contributions are no less appreciated and I'm glad to have you all along for the ride! So hold on tight, this rollercoaster is getting ready for a major drop 'wink'**

**Anyhow. I know, an unfair place to end the chapter (as usual), but this sucker was getting way too long! First draft was almost thirty pages and I was like, I can't edit that in one sitting.**

**So, the good news, for me, is that the next chapter is almost done already! Yeah! But it, uh, still won't go up until March 6****th****. Sorry, I have a schedule to keep. :D**

**Anyhow… I don't have a lot to add here about the chapter in my notes. There was an additional flash back for Hay Lin, but it was cut due to many factors, one of which being length.**

**I feel the pacing of the chapter is a little bit slower than I usually like, but, meh. It is what it is and I'm happy enough with it to say…**

**Starwin Out.**


	10. E3 P2: Coming Home

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 3: Oasis

* * *

Part 2: Coming Home

* * *

"Welcome friends!" cried Cornelia, rising from her bramble throne at the heart of Rakadin. The unnatural shadows seemed to close in around her. The only source of light keeping the darkness at bay emanated from the pulsing gem on Cornelia's chest. Blue waves of ghostly pale light rippled out in all directions, chilling the air.

A dragon made of silver moved slowly across the floor towards Cornelia, but her gaze was not directed at it. She was looking intently at a blank patch of stone in front of the door to her chambers. It was empty and bare, yet she had addressed the spot as if someone was standing there.

"There is no point in hiding," continued Cornelia as she walked slowly forward, stepping down from her throne. Plant vines reached out to her feet, making steps for her as she descended. "Such small magic cannot conceal you."

Cornelia reached out towards the empty spot, pinched her fingers as if grabbing some unseen string and tugged. Instantly, four people appeared on the spot, shock and surprise on their faces. They had materialize out of thin air.

Standing at the front of the group was Taranee, the surprise quickly slipping from her face. Blond haired Elyon, queen of Meridian, stood next to Taranee, her shock replaced by anger as she gazed upon Cornelia. The Oracle waited on Taranee's other side, his face completely impassive, having not shown any emotion at all. And Hayden guarded the back, his head half turned over his shoulder as if expecting to be jumped from behind.

They had all snuck into Rakadin. They had come to find Cornelia, to stop her, by any means. Now they stood before her, in the deepest, darkest chamber of the castle, their spell of invisibility stripped away.

"See," beamed Cornelia. Her terrible reflectionless eyes were fixed upon them. "Isn't that much better? Now we can talk, face to face."

She stopped next to the silver dragon and glanced down at it. The monster had once been a girl, a friend of Taranee's, a friend of Cornelia's… her name had been Hay Lin. But now she was a monster, controlled by Cornelia and forced to her bidding.

Cornelia held out a hand towards the dragon. Obediently, the dragon opened its mouth and a small orb of radiant golden light fell like a tear into Cornelia's waiting palm.

"Give that back!" snarled Elyon. "You have no right!" Cornelia smiled as she held up the glowing light to examine it. The Heart of Metamoor was producing its own golden glow, but it seemed weak when compared to the cold blue energy emanating from the Soul.

"I thought Hay Lin had failed me," explained Cornelia ignoring Elyon. "But it seems this Heart was simply too strong for her. It kept her from coming back. It fought against its fate." Cornelia smile suddenly vanished and she closed her hand around the Heart of Metamoor, completely hiding it.

"But no one can fight their fate!" she slammed the Heart of Metamoor against the blue gem on her chest. The Soul of Rakadin no longer hung around Cornelia's neck. It was imbedded in the silver armor she now wore.

Except—Taranee's eyes widened—she couldn't believe what she was seeing! Cornelia wasn't wearing armor. It was her skin! Her skin had turned silver and scaled and metal. She had become like her dragons, but she'd stayed human. The transformation had stopped at the base of her neck leaving the last remnants of her face unchanged.

There was a scream that came from Elyon as the Heart of her world was absorbed into the Soul. Elyon collapsed to the floor and Taranee kneeled down to hold her. Elyon was shaking so badly that Taranee though she might be having a seizure. Her skin had become unnaturally cold too. Without even thinking about it, Taranee poured warmth into Elyon and her shaking subsided slightly.

Colored light flickered against the walls. The two gems clashed against each other in an intense battle, of which Taranee could hardly see. However, there was no escape for the Heart of Metamoor. The golden glow weakened and shuttered as if dieing. Then, with one last flash, the golden light was gone and cold blue filled the room.

Elyon was sobbing into her hands. Cornelia let out a sigh, icy breath escaping her lips. The air became colder all around them. Taranee was sure if there had been water in the room that it would have frozen.

"Now, there's only one more," said Cornelia, her eyes turning meaningfully to Taranee. "And you have brought it to me so willingly. I thought I would have to break open Kandrakar itself to take it." Cornelia held out her hand expectantly as if she thought Taranee would just shrug and hand it over.

Instinctively Taranee closed her hand over the gem that hung on her neck. "I'll never give it to you." said Taranee. The smile on Cornelia's face fell slightly.

"Then why come here if not to surrender?" asked Cornelia, genuinely puzzled. "You honestly don't think you have any chance of stopping me, do you?" None of them answered. "I control every Heart in the universe except for one. Except for yours." She pointed at Taranee.

"What do you think you can do against me?" laughed Cornelia. "What chance do you think you have? A fallen queen? A discarded dragon knight? A sightless Oracle? And a single guardian?

"I can bend reality," as Cornelia spoke the stone floor around her began to boil. Great black bubbles detached themselves, drifting slowly towards the ceiling like a lava lamp. "I have the power to unmake entire worlds. I could rip the sky apart. And I can destroy you in such a way that you will never have existed!"

She pointed at Hayden who let out a gasp. A great hole had opened in his chest as though he were being erased. He collapsed to the floor next to Elyon. Taranee couldn't help but notice that the Oracle was the only one of their group still standing.

What chance did they have against something like this? What could they possibly hope to accomplish? The power of one Heart was incredible and Cornelia didn't just have one, she had them all! Such a thought was almost inconceivable!

"Stop it!" shouted Elyon working back to her feet and taking a staggered step towards Cornelia. To Taranee's surprise, Cornelia stopped. The hole in Hayden's chest began to close and his breathing returned to normal.

"Pathetic," sneered Cornelia. "This is the best defense you can send Oracle? This is what your power provides you? You sent us out on dangerous missions because you're so weak. You have no power. You're an old man, past his time."

"And you, you were a guardian once," replied the Oracle. Even though Taranee had seen it hundreds of times, she was amazed that the Oracle could still present his unwavering calm. "And a loyal friend. Did you give it all up for power? Did you turn your back on those who needed you for this." He held out his hand, indicating the decaying Rakadin.

"What has your ambition really gained you?" he asked. "What have you achieved? You gave up your life in pursuit of this insanity. You murdered your friend and thousands of innocents. And for what?"

"This was always my destiny," snapped Cornelia. "You know that better than anyone! You robbed me of my rightful place. You gave away what should have been mine!"

"What do you mean," asked Elyon, her eyes turning from Cornelia to the Oracle. "What is she talking about?"

"Tell them, Oracle," said Cornelia softly a mirthless grin on her face. "Explain to them how this is really all you're fault." The Oracle looked somewhat reluctant, but his voice was steady when he spoke.

"Cornelia should have been the keeper of the Heart, not Will." the Oracle answered. "The Heart would have chosen her. But I saw her future, I saw what having the Heart would do to you, to the universe.

"So, it was decided to change your fate. We cast the role of keeper onto another," explained the Oracle. "Yan Lin brought the Heart to Kandrakar once all of the new Guardians had been identified. We removed the auramare of the earth and we let the Heart pick another keeper from among the four.

"It took years," continued the Oracle. "Far longer than any previous selection. The Heart longed to pick the person it had been destined for. But, at last, it chose the only person to suit its needs. That person was Will."

"So Cornelia should have been our leader?" asked Taranee, surprise making her completely forget where they were and what was going on.

"Yes," answered Cornelia. "I always should have been keeper. My magic, my abilities are far beyond all of you. It wasn't fair that I had to answer to Will. It should have been me holding the Heart. It should have been me giving the orders!

"But now we're going to set things right," once again Cornelia's eyes swept to Taranee and the Heart around her neck. She held out a hand towards it. "I'm going to make the universe better. I'm going to remove the failure of Kandrakar. I will take its place not as a ruler, or an Oracle, but as a god. Now… Give it to me."

The briefest flicker of thought whispered in Taranee's mind as her golden eyes met with Cornelia's nightmare black ones. For a moment there was a sensation—a terrible sensation—as if something were trying to force its way into Taranee's brain through her eyes!

She couldn't close them, she couldn't look away! She felt her body starting to move, starting to obey Cornelia's command. Then, a pleading voice that was so distant Taranee could hardly make out any of the words, whispered in her thoughts and the spell was broken.

Taranee blinked hard, her foot had half lifted off the ground. She slammed it back down. The voice whispered to her again, stronger this time. 'Run' cried the voice. It sounded like it was screaming at the top of its lungs. 'Please run away!'

Taranee stared back into Cornelia's reflectionless black eyes and began to push the other way, forcing her way into Cornelia's mind. Taranee could hear the pleading cry inside the other girl's head. So the voice hadn't come from Hayden or Elyon or the Oracle. It hadn't come from the silver dragon that hid Hay Lin inside it.

The cry had come from… from Cornelia. From deep inside her. It was one last desperate cry… for help…

As if her power had never left her, Taranee's fire-sight came to life in her eyes. The walls of Rakadin burned with black flickering flames. The plant vines swirled in greens and yellows. Even Serenity, wrapped in vines, glowed with a blue-ish light.

But Cornelia… Cornelia was empty as if she had been scooped out and was a hollow shell. Her body was a great dark shadow against a world of colors. Except for the tiniest point of wild green light, flickering where her heart should be.

That was where the pleading voice had come from. That was Cornelia, all that was left of her. It was nothing more now than the faintest dieing ember, struggling to keep from going out in the darkness

The single green star in the shadows of Cornelia's form winked feebly one last time. Then the light went out. The voice that had cried for help became silent forever. And Taranee finally understood what she had seen.

"You killed her," said Taranee her voice trembling slightly as she said the words. Her fire-sight faded back into normal vision, she didn't want to see the thing that had Cornelia's body anymore. She had control of her fire-sight now. She knew how to use it, when to use it and what she had seen through it. "You aren't Cornelia. You're not even human."

Cornelia smiled broader, but it was an unnatural smile that stretched her face too far.

"No," she hissed and her voice was different, hollow and empty, although it did not echo. "I am not." The Oracle was no longer looking at Cornelia, his head had turned to Taranee.

"You murdered Cornelia so you could walk around in her body. Because… because you don't have one of your own!" said Taranee, realization forming in her words. She knew what the darkness inside Cornelia was. That absolute, terrible darkness that bled through her eyes. It was… "You're, the Void, aren't you?"

"Yes," the thing that was not Cornelia replied.

"What?" asked Hayden confused. Elyon was trying to help him to his feet again. "I thought the Void was just a place. How can it possibly be controlling Cornelia? It's not alive. It's just mindless nothingness!"

"I am not a place," responded the empty girl. "I am not alive. I am not mindless. But I am nothing." She held out her hands indicating everything around her, "This is not a place. It is not mindless. But it is everything. You are simply too small to see."

"Did anyone else not understand any of that?" asked Hayden, unable to hide his confusion.

"Why use Cornelia?" shouted Elyon, distress in her voice.

"I have no form," explained the hollow voice from Cornelia's lips. "I cannot touch or feel. I cannot hold or take. I needed hands. I needed shape."

"But why Cornelia?" Elyon pressed, her voice desperate. "There are lots of people in the universe, why her!" demanded Elyon.

"Special," said the Void simply.

"Special how?" asked Elyon but the Void did not elaborate.

"If you won't tell us why you used Cornelia, at least tell us why you did this?" asked Taranee. "What did we ever do to you?"

"It is my purpose," hissed the Void. "Not to exist. You contradict me. I must change your purpose. Make you like me."

Taranee shook her head, not understanding. "See I'm not the only one who has no idea what this thing is saying," whispered Hayden, "maybe we should just blast it?" Taranee did not respond, she was considering her options. They needed to know more before they attacked.

"The Void does not exist," explained the Oracle, everyone looked at him. "That is its purpose. That is what it is. All it understands. People search their whole life, seeking their purpose, never realizing that it is simple, right in front of them. Our purpose is to exist."

"That can't be it! There has to be more too it than that," said Elyon. "I mean, existing can't be the meaning of life."

"I said it was its purpose, not it's meaning," answered the Oracle. "You, give your life meaning. Others, give your life meaning. But meaning is not purpose."

"Serenity gave me meaning," interrupted the Void. "I did not know of you until I met her." Slowly it moved closer to them. Cornelia's feet clunking heavily against the floor as the thing in her body approached. "For me you did not exist. But then I felt you, you burned inside me. And I found you.

"A tiny part of your universe had traveled beyond the infinity. Rakadin." The Void's dark eyes seemed to widen slightly. "It contradicted me. I longed to unmake it. To put it right. But it intrigued me. I resisted my purpose even though it hurt.

"I had never seen anything like it before. I could not understand it. I spoke to it, but it did not answer."

"The Void drove the people of Rakadin insane," explained the Oracle. "They claimed to hear voices telling them to tear the universe open. That is why I had to go to Rakadin and stop them."

"Yes," hissed the Void, Cornelia's eyes narrowed as it glared through them at the Oracle. "You took them away, you left it empty but still existing! It was like a thorn within me. I longed to remove it but I could feel your universe attached to it.

"The moment I was aware of your universe, it became real to me. I had never felt agony the like of what a universe inflicted upon me. Something infinitely greater than this tiny place you call Rakadin. But I could not find your universe for I had never seen it, I could not unmake it! I knew if I unmade Rakadin, I would never find you. There would be no connection left. And, I would still know you and feel you burning me.

"Then, she came to me," Cornelia's head glanced over her shoulder at Serenity, still suspended in the vines. "Hidden from you, Oracle. Hidden where you could not find her. In the place between existence and nothingness.

"She was and yet, was not," said the Void, struggling to fit words that explained its thoughts. "She was a bridge that connected me to those that existed, and I understood.

"I could not come back with her when she finally chose to exist. But I could pour myself into the Soul of Rakadin, for magic in your universe both exists and does not exist. Together we would merge your universe and the Void. They would be like she was, existing, but not.

"But she betrayed me," said the Void and it looked back at Taranee, its eyes fixed on the Heart around her neck. "She had never intended to let me into your universe. She would have brought Rakadin back and sealed you away so that I could never have found your universe again!

"So I found another," said the Void, pressing its hands against Cornelia. "I could feel her power. She was special. Not simply another body in your universe but a key point of energy. And I let her take me.

"She has the power to alter the fate of your universe, a destiny she was once denied. Through her, did I pour myself," explained the Void. "I enticed her with promises of power. I whispered lies into her dreams. And I took away her choices until she changed what I desired.

"It took time to empty her. I had to adapt to being. Expanding all at once would have annihilated her and any chance I had. She fought me with all her might. But in the end she was just a child, a single small being of this great infinity. I removed her bit by bit until Cornelia was no more.

"Once I have the last Heart I can pour myself into your universe like I did her. Your protection will be gone and I will tear a black hole into your reality that shall consume everything. Even death shall not exist. You shall all be as I am. Nothing."

Anger flared in Taranee and before she had even stopped to consider her action, she had screamed the order with her mind. 'ATTACK!' she yelled, her telepathic powers broadcasting to the Oracle, and Elyon, and Hayden.

All at once the four of them lashed out with their magic. Flames, as hot as the sun, streamed from Taranee's hands. The plants in the room were instantly reduced to ash by the intensity.

From the Oracle golden white light amplified Taranee's fire. The energy changed it from angry yellow red, to pure white so bright they couldn't look at it. Elyon was throwing bolts of energy into the mix. And Hayden poured out his death magic, careful to avoid the other attacks.

They could no longer see Cornelia in the intense light. Perhaps she… perhaps the Void had been instantly vaporized by the attack? But how did you kill something that didn't exist?

A shock wave rebounded on them, knocking everyone but the Oracle off their feet. Cornelia's body still stood in front of them, The area around her had been devastated by the attack. Her throne was gone, the room was plantless and the floor and ceiling had turned to molten stone.

But Cornelia was un-phased by any of the attacks. The only thing about her that was different now was that her face was gone. The silver skin had covered it, leaving only the rough shape of her nose and black eyes visible. Her silver hair still flowed down her back.

She did not retaliate, but continued to walk slowly towards them.

'Run!' came the voice of the Oracle in Taranee's mind. She did not move, her eyes were fixed on the Oracle. There had been panic in his voice.

The air around the Oracle sparked with energy. The very fabric of the universe seemed to be opening around him and elemental energy was pouring out of it. His eyes surged with white hot light and as he lashed out a fist, a crash like a sonic boom shook the room.

The floor in front of him was torn asunder in a great gash, as was the ceiling. The invisible attack, that to Taranee looked just like air, slammed into the Void. To Taranee's great surprise it lifted the silver girl off her feet and flung her through the back wall.

With a loud crack, the whole room sunk slightly as if it were about to collapse. Then the stone work began to pull away, and Taranee realized that the Oracle's attack must have been powerful enough to actually break away a section of Rakadin.

The Oracle turned to look at Taranee and Hayden and Elyon who had not moved at all, but sat with their mouths hanging open. They had never seen the Oracle attack before!

"Run!" he shouted, his calm completely gone. "You must escape! It cannot get the Heart!" he pointed at Taranee. The wall on the far side of the room crumbled and the Void reappeared moving slowly towards them.

Taranee nodded. She was terrified, but that wasn't why she was about to run. They couldn't let this thing get the Heart! They had to get away. Get it some place safe, if there was even such a thing.

"Come on," Taranee shouted, pulling Elyon up and dragging her along. Hayden stumbled to his feet and the three of them sprinted from the room.

"Follow," the Void commanded. The silver dragon leapt off the floor, racing through the air and past the Oracle, who did not move to stop it. "You, surprise me." said the Void coldly. "I did not know you commanded such power."

The Oracle raised his fists, ready to fight the silver armored abomination.

* * *

The black vines had re-grown once more. Without pause, Hayden pointed his hands at them. Swirling black tendrils of death swept down the passageway. The vine wilted and tumbled away at its touch.

"Go," grunted Hayden. Taranee's eyes widened slightly. "I can't hold them back much longer and I certainly can't do it running away. GO!"

Nodding, she pulled Elyon along with her. Taranee ran as fast as she could down the hallway keeping clear of the death magic that was holding back the vines. It seemed the Oracle had been right. Tiny sprouts were resurfacing, even as the death magic worked to hold them back.

They were almost clear of the section but Taranee could already tell they wouldn't make it! Reflexively she lashed out with her own magic. Intense fire burned in Taranee's hands, she was pouring everything she had into one big attack.

With a grunt of effort she let loose a great wave of fire. It crashed against the floor, rolling along the stone, causing it to smolder. The vines did not stop growing, but they slowed just enough for Taranee and Elyon to get clear.

They had one last fleeting glimpse of Hayden before the vines filled the hallway, blocking him from view.

Taranee's head was pounding. They had made it so far, all the way to Cornelia… to the Void… to the monster at the center of Rakadin… only to run away. And now they were two people down. The Oracle, gone. Hayden, gone. How much longer would they last?

Taranee was overcome by the urge to go back for them but she knew she couldn't. Her eyes drifted to Elyon. The blond haired girl's face was determined, but there were tears glistening at the edges of her eyes.

Silently they picked a passage and moved down it as quickly as possible, seeking an escape from Rakadin.

* * *

Hayden watched as the vines wove together, sealing the path. There would be no way through now, but he hadn't planned on escaping anyhow. He would go back and help the Oracle. He had to stop this thing…

A flash of silver streaked at Hayden. There was just enough time for him to lift his arm and shield his face. Glistening metal teeth tore into his flesh as the dragon's jaws closed around his arm. Intense pain coursed through his shattered limb as the razor sharp teeth easily ripped through skin and bone.

Reflexively, death magic flowed over Hayden. The dragon seemed to sense it coming and released him. The metal beast slithered backward through the air, putting distance between them. Its cold blue eyes watched Hayden, looking for a moment of weakness where it could strike again.

Hayden moved his injured arm to his side and held up his good one, pointing it at the dragon. The beast snarled at him. He paused, considering what he was about to do. But that momentary pause was what the dragon needed. Faster than he could blink, its tail lashed out, striking Hayden in the chest.

He felt several of his ribs crack and he staggered backwards to the wall before collapsing. All he could do was stare into the glistening silver maw that was bearing down on him.

Hayden looked up at the ceiling, not wanting to bare witness to his own gruesome fate. Laughter shook his broken chest. So this was it, this is how it ended for the last dragon knight. Eaten, by a dragon. Not how he had thought it would end. Not how he wanted it to end.

His eyes came back to the dragon's pointed face. This wasn't how it would end. He controlled death! He commanded it! He would choose how he would leave this world! And he would not go out as some snack for this twisted creature!

Hayden felt his power flowing over him. The dragon stopped advancing, its glowing eyes watching the smoke that rolled off Hayden. Thicker and thicker the gray darkness became, until it enveloped him completely. But it did not stop there. The death magic continued to spread, to creep out into the floors and halls of Rakadin.

The dragon was forced to take to the air to avoid the touch of death. But soon even the air was not safe. There was no other choice for the dragon to make, it could not stay, it could not attack. So it retreated. With a burst of speed the dragon raced out of sight.

But Hayden did not stop, could not stop. His magic continued to flow, as if he had broken open and his powers were rushing out of him. He could feel them moving across all of Rakadin, turning the stone to dust at even the farthest corner.

He knew what he had to do. He would bring down Rakadin.

* * *

"You surprise me Oracle," said the Void, its reflectionless black eyes fixed on the bald man before it. "I always thought you a weak coward. Content to let others do your dirty work. I thought you had no strengths of your own. However, it seems you've just been holding back, hiding your true self."

"But it doesn't matter," said the Void, pointing a hand at the Oracle from across the room. "You might have great magic in you, but you are no match for my power!" With a twist of its hand, the thing moved to unmake him, to destroy him completely. But he remained, fists still raised and defiant expression on his face.

The air around the Oracle rippled and colored streamers of light emerged from the folds of space. Five ribbons, each an elemental color, danced around the Oracle, sailing in an invisible wind, protecting him. They were like tiny serpents… like dragons…

Then fire erupted from his eyes. His hands became like stone. Mist rolled out from around his feet while sparks of lighting danced around him like a shield. He lunged at the Void, moving like the wind!

An explosion shook all of Rakadin as the Oracle's fist crashed into the Void's silver armor. The metal demon had only just managed to block the attack. But, no sooner had one blow been stopped then the Oracle struck again, the weight of the universe behind his swing.

It connected and the Void was lifted off the ground, into the air, and through the solid stone ceiling. The Oracle did not hesitate as he leapt into the air after it, the wind propelling him upwards, a trail of clouds and fire and lightning in his wake.

With a thunderous crash, an immense hole burst open in the rooftops of Rakadin. The Void only just managed to grab hold of the shambles, stopping itself from being thrown out into the sky. There was hardly time for it to get up before the blur of the Oracle was charging down upon it once more.

The Void dodged and the Oracle's fist smashed into the stone where it had been standing. The roof exploded. Shards of rubble flew in every direction. The Oracle hovered in the air, a great gash open beneath his feet. He was calm and silent. The ribbons of energy continued to encircle his body.

They stared each other down, both waiting for the other to make the next move. Finally it was the Void that moved first. It leapt off the side of Rakadin, plummeting backwards, its eyes watching the edge.

The Oracle did not even pause. He leapt blindly off the side after it, the colored ribbons streaming behind him, keeping pace, even though they were not attached. His fist stretched out in front of him, and he raced towards the Void, falling impossibly faster.

A huge section of stone burst out of the wall of Rakadin, stopping the Void's downward plunge with a crash. The metal monster rolled backwards, anticipating the Oracle's attack where it had been.

But the Oracle landed lightly as if he were a feather.

The wind was extremely powerful here, and the Oracle's robes blew in all directions. Off either side of the stone beam was a head spinning drop. The city of Heatherfield was visible through the break in the clouds. But the town below was so small it might just have been an ant hill.

Behind the Oracle was the crumbling walls of Rakadin, thick plant vines weaving in and out of its stone. Behind the Void was the violent storm torn sky and a terrible fall to the distant ground below. Slowly the bald man advanced on the Void, energy throbbing at his fists. The silver girl backed away towards the end of the beam.

"So, you kept some of her powers," asked the Oracle. His voice was not one voice, but many. And the Void suddenly understood.

"You summoned the Elements!" said the Void, pointing a finger at the Oracle. "This isn't your power! You're nothing more than a puppet for them. A body to be used and discarded.

"Your Elements aren't any better than I am," said the Void, positively enjoying the irony.

"We learned the trick from you," said the many voices from the Oracle's mouth.

"Then you also know there is a price to be paid for such power," replied the Void, taking another step backwards along the narrow walkway, now only feet from the end. "You are burning up your life force to have such power.

"And to gain so much power so quickly," the Void smiled as it could see that the Oracle's breathing was labored. "Must have taken a lot out of you. How much time do you have? Enough to stop me?"

Without warning the Oracle struck at the Void, dashing along the beam. The Void deflected the attack. There was a crack like no thunder the Earth had ever heard. The clouds were torn apart like the parting of a great sea. The air boiled with heat. And in the distance, a mountain top exploded from the force.

The Void struck back, but the Oracle was too quick. The Void attacked again, but still the Oracle dodged, not attempting to block, even though he had to retreat with each move. And the Void realized that the Oracle could not block. This great offensive power he'd gained came with another price, no defense.

With the Oracle's weakness exposed, the Void pressed its advantage. The battle became more intense as the Void increased its attacks, no longer bothering to defend itself. It swung wildly at the Oracle, missing several times and slamming into Rakadin, causing great chunks of it to fall off.

The Oracle was having trouble finding an opening. He could not get close or stand still for very long. But the Void was much slower. And after several retreats the Oracle saw his chance.

With speed and power he landed several blows in a row. But the Void hardly slowed in its attacks. The metal skin was inflicting more damage on him then he was doing to it. And each attack was becoming slower. Each strike costing him more and more.

With one final dodge his back pressed against the wall of Rakadin and he could retreat no further. He saw the fist racing towards him and felt the Elements abandon his body. He lifted his arms, pouring all his magic into a shield. But it was not nearly enough.

With a terrible crash he felt both his arms shatter. His feeble body collided with the stone wall which, after so many attacks, crumbled with the force of his impact. He skidded across the floor, both arms lay limp at is sides.

The Void towered over him, looking down at him, its expression unreadable.

"Even if you kill me," said the Oracle, he tasted blood in his mouth and knew his end was near. "You won't win."

"I easily beat your Elements, the strongest force in your universe," said the Void, coming to a stop in front of him, its cold reflectionless eyes gazing on his broken body. "Do you think you can still stop me? Or perhaps one of the children you brought with you?"

"No," said the Oracle, he could feel his last breaths as he struggled to talk. "The Elements didn't abandon me." He paused, seeing the dark gaze in the Void's eyes. "They were making sure you couldn't escape."

As he said it all light suddenly vanished. The blue glow of the soul became the only illumination. Through the holes in Rakadin they could see that the sky above had turned black. Not like night but like the sky was gone!

"What is this," asked the Void.

"A prison," said the Oracle, feeling the grip of death upon him. "The entire Earth has been sealed away. No portals or folds. We've been cut off from the Universe, cut off from the Void. You're trapped here, with no way to leave." His face spread into a smile, a laugh unheard on his lips. With a flicker of anger the Void lashed out at him and the Oracle was unmade, vanishing into nothing.

Rakadin gave a terrible shutter beneath the feet of the silver girl and it began to crumble away around her.

* * *

Taranee and Elyon were running as hard and fast as they could. Streams of dust rained down from the ceiling, the stone underneath their feet was collapsing. Taranee held a ball of fire in her fist. All the light, all of it, had just vanished completely!

If she had thought Rakadin was dark before, she had been wrong, very, very wrong!

Elyon was yelling something, but Taranee had been so focused she hadn't heard. With a tug that brought Taranee to a halt, she finally understood what Elyon was shouting.

"Watch out!" Elyon cried again as a huge section of Rakadin tumbled down in front of them. Blocks of stone five times their size were falling from the ceiling.

Quickly they picked another passage, but they had hardly run a few feet before they had to come to a stop. This way too was breaking apart. They turned to retreat, but, it was all around them now. All of Rakadin was coming down on them.

They stood on the last section of ground that had not eroded away. Elyon held up her hands, creating a shield around them. The glowing barrier flickered slightly and Taranee wondered if it could withstand a direct hit.

Closer and closer the collapse moved. The floor was falling away around them so that they stood on a circle no more than ten feet across. Taranee grabbed Elyon, holding tightly to her and then, the floor crumbled away below their feet.

Instantly they began to fall, tumbling through the air, great blocks of stone spinning around them in every direction. Miraculously, Elyon maintained the protective shield. It shimmered like a crystal bubble protecting them, deflecting some of the smaller blocks.

Taranee knew they had to get clear, knew they had to get out!

Holding tightly around Elyon's waist with one hand, Taranee used the other hand to shoot jets of flame like a rocket. Much to her surprise it worked, too well, in fact. Both of them were launched forward, the shield bouncing off blocks of crumbling stone like a pinball.

Taranee did not let go, she could not let go! But her arm was having trouble keeping hold of Elyon. They hit another large stone as Taranee tried vainly to steer them. The shield flickered and vanished.

Instantly they were pelted from all sides by tiny stones. One clipped Taranee across her forehead and she knew it must have cut her. She poured more power into her hand pushing them faster through the air towards safety.

A sudden sharp pain burned in Taranee's back. A jagged stone had sunk into her shoulder blade. She didn't let go. More power, more thrust! They were racing now, dodging blocks by inches.

But their luck ran out. A huge stone slammed into Taranee flinging her away from Elyon, who vanished instantly into the falling debris.

The impact almost knocked Taranee out. She struggled to keep her eyes open. Her whole body was in pain as she tumbled through the air, falling ever closer to the invisible ground below.

She wanted to go back for Elyon, to find her, to get her to safety. But she couldn't even tell which direction Elyon was in.

With a tremendous effort, fire roared to life at her hands once more. She was speeding blindly through the air, directing herself away from the avalanche. And suddenly, she was clear of the falling castle. She was propelling herself farther and farther away, but she was still falling!

Only, just in time, did she realize how close she was to the ground. Turning her hands downwards Taranee poured all her magic left into her hands. Great flames roared to life, scorching the ground below.

But even at full strength, Taranee didn't come to a complete stop. A second later she slammed into the ground, rolling limply across the burnt earth. Finally, she stopped, splayed out in the grass, motionless and under the empty sky.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**A HUGE thanks to everyone kind enough to leave me a review for last chapter:** Lexvan**, **Joe Habana**, **DayDreamer9**, **XV-Dragon **and **Darev**! They were all splendid comments!! Thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts on my work and help me improve my story telling!!! It really does mean the world to me!!!!**

**And a BIG thank you to all of my readers! I hope you are enjoying the story so far!**

**Well, with this chapter, we are firmly passed the halfway point. I know, strange huh? It feels like we just got this thing started.**

**There's a lot more story in this episode than I originally thought. This whole chapter was supposed to be last chapter (and about nine-ish pages of it was at one time). But there was so much exposition in this part I couldn't possibly have left in last chapter.**

**So, now, everything is slightly pushed, and next chapter just keeps looming larger and large on the horizon… I hope it all fits… Maybe I should move some of that chapter too…**

**Anyhow… thinking aloud… typing… aloud… **

**I know there was a whole lot to absorb in this chapter. And some of you (most of you (everyone)) is probably a little confused. So let me provide a little summery in hopes it will clarify the events. **

**Bad stuff went down. Everyone's dead now… or not. You'll just have to wait an see :D**

**Starwin out.**


	11. E3 P3: Trapped On Earth

**"Beyond the Infinity"**

**By: Starwin**

**

* * *

**

**Episode 3: Oasis**

**

* * *

**

**Part 3: Trapped on Earth**

* * *

A cold fog had settled over the town of Heatherfield, blanketing it in dense freezing mist. It was very dark, darker than any night that had ever touched the town before. The street lamps should have held the town in semi twilight but none of them had come on. Without its man-made illumination the town was invisible in an eternal night.

Heatherfield might not have existed at all but for one girl, lying alone in a charred field of grass. It hardly mattered if there was a city around her or not. She had been there for hours, showing no sign of movement or life.

Around her, in all directions, were grate slabs of stone. They had been strewn across the ground like a misshapen Stonehenge. There was no sign of how they had gotten there. It was like they had fallen out of the sky. And the girl in her tattered clothing might just have tumbled down with them.

With the tiniest shiver of cold, the girl stirred with a groan of pain. Her eyes remained closed as her senses slowly awakened. Then, there was a moment of panic as she remembered where she was and what had happened. Her eyes snapped open and she made to sit up. But she neither saw, nor rose from the ground.

With a yelp of pain she could not silence, the girl lay still again. The sound of her voice sounded muffled in the air. Her wrist was broken and she wondered how much else might be. And her sight… she couldn't see anything at all. The fall couldn't have taken that away… could it?

Cradling her injured wrist she tried to sit up again. The rest of her body protested the movement but she couldn't tell if anything else was broken. She felt different too, more normal somehow. She must have transformed back from her Guardian form.

And if she had lost her sight again than there was only one thing she could do. Willing her powers to aid her, Taranee set her vision ablaze as the world became bathed in the flames of fire-sight.

She was sitting on someone's front lawn, a house she did not recognize. Great jagged, pointed, stones jutted out of the ground all around her, the last remnants of Rakadin.

Taranee's eyes moved upwards, searching the great empty sky for any sign that the castle had survived. But there was nothing. Hayden had truly done it. He had taken down Rakadin.

But something was wrong. Something Taranee wasn't fully sure of as her eye scanned the darkness. More than just Rakadin was absent from the night sky. The moon, the stars! They were all gone too! Maybe she just couldn't see them through her fire-sight. Maybe, if she turned it off, the sky would be filled with a dazzling display to remind her the universe was still there.

Taranee did not extinguish her fire-sight. Now that she had sight, she did not want to give it up. She could see no one else around. And although her fire-sight should not have been impeded by buildings, she could see no signs of life at all!

A terrible thought ran through Taranee's mind. Cornelia… the Void, she corrected herself, it couldn't have killed everyone in Heatherfield…

Reaching out with her powers of telepathy Taranee searched for someone else, for anyone else! But only empty echo's returned to Taranee. She tried again, this time focusing on a specific person, the Oracle. But he too was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps the magical veil the Void had placed around the Earth was blocking her powers. But even if they were blocked she should have been able to feel the others on some level. Yet, there was nothing.

With a great deal of effort Taranee struggled to her feet. Standing was a good deal harder than it should have been. Twice she had almost used her broken wrist to support herself. But she finally managed to get to her feet.

She glanced around again, as if standing gave her a better view of the world. Flickering outlines of buildings danced in yellow-white flames. The Earth below her feet was a great empty mass, like Metamoor had been. Cornelia, the Void, Taranee was still having trouble keeping it strait, must have taken the Heart of Earth.

There was nothing Taranee could see that gave her any comfort. There was nothing that gave her any hope. This world was as empty as the sky. The light had gone from this place and it would never return!

Tears suddenly burned at the edges of her eyes as the realization of what she was seeing sunk in. Heatherfield, was gone. Hayden, was gone. The Oracle, was gone. Elyon, was gone. Hay Lin, was gone. And Cornelia, was gone!

Cornelia, who Taranee had hated until only a short time ago, had suffered a terrible fate. A fate worse than anything Taranee could ever have imagined. Cornelia had been trapped and manipulated. Discarded like she was nothing…

A tightness closed on Taranee's chest as she realized that Cornelia was most likely nothing. The Void would not have killed her, the Void would have unmade her.

Taranee's fire-sight went out as she began to cry, her throat constricted with sobs, her body trembling uncontrollably. She was alone, trapped on Earth. The last Guardian, the last person! This couldn't be happening, this wasn't possible!

Without warning a brilliant light washed over Taranee. It had come out of nowhere, like lightning, except that it did not fade away. Taranee wondered where the thunder was.

An instant later the ground shook violently. Nearby windows shattered and a crash, like no thunder she had ever heard, slammed into Taranee, almost knocking her off her feet. She raised her arms protectively, but as quickly as the noise had come, it faded into silence again.

Taranee lowered her arms slowly. Everything was still and silent again, but the cold blue light remained. It was not white sunlight like she had expected but, cold, icy blue light. Hesitantly, her eyes turned upwards and she saw the source immediately.

High in the sky was a cold blue sun. It was not bright, even from here she could look directly at its fiery surface. Great tendrils of flame lashed out of it before crashing back into the sun. The fireball cast a pale blue light down on Heatherfield making everything around Taranee seem oddly otherworldly.

The sky was cloudless, as if they had all been burned away. Yet, there was something else up there besides the ball of fire. A silver streamer of light undulated against the nightmare black sky.

If Taranee hadn't known any better she might have thought it was an airplane. It looked like it was headed out to sea. But, in a moment more it was too distant for her to make out and her eyes fell back to her surroundings.

For the first time Taranee saw the city of Heatherfield up close with her normal sight and she gasped in horror. Frozen statues of people stood in the streets, terror on their faces. Cars had crashed into buildings as their occupants solidified.

It was awful, monstrous. But even with the sight around her, Taranee couldn't help but glance back up at the sky, towards the raging ball of fire high above. What was it?

It couldn't be a sun. It was most definitely in the sky. It wasn't giving off any heat, in fact, Taranee shivered again, it was getting colder. She wished she had worn something warmer but she couldn't remember the last time she had been out of her guardian form.

Then Taranee realized, she wasn't sure how she could have been so stupid! She was still the guardian of fire, even if she wasn't transformed. She could just make her own heat. Taranee raised a hand, ready to make a nice warm flame, but she stopped herself.

Heatherfield was completely dark around her. If that thing in the sky could see, lighting a fire would be like a beacon to her location. And even though it sounded crazy, she felt like that giant ball of fire in the sky could see her. Like it was looking for her…

Taranee wrapped her arms around herself. She had to find someplace warmer. She moved through the towering stones towards the nearest house. The moment she stepped under its roof she felt the cold diminish. For some reason the shadows were warmer then the blue light.

In fact, ice was starting to form wherever the blue light touched. Taranee could see the grass staring to freeze and her icy breath hung in the air.

She was no stranger to cold. Heatherfield had more than its fair share of winter days. But this cold was like nothing she had ever felt. It was a cold that got inside you, that stole away more than your warmth.

Her teeth starting to chatter, a new terrible realization overcame Taranee. What was she supposed to do now? Without the Oracle's guidance, she didn't have a clue what had to be done.

Taranee took a deep calming breath. The icy air stung her lungs but she remained focused. Priorities, she thought in her head, stay warm, stay alive… protect the Heart!

The Heart! In all that had happened she had completely forgotten about it! Taranee's hands raced to the gem around her neck, checking to make sure it was still there. But it was gone!

Frantically she looked around her, as though she had just dropped it. But she couldn't remember the last time she had seen it. Taranee closed her eyes, trying to think. She hadn't woken up with it but she'd definitely had it when they fell from Rakadin… It must have come off when she had crash landed!

Stepping out from the protective shadows, Taranee scanned the ground, seeking out the Heart. It had to be here, it must be here! The cold blue light beat down on her back, chilling her rapidly. Her eyes couldn't find it, what if it wasn't here, what if she had dropped it some place else?

What if… what if the Void had already taken it?

A loud meow sounded from behind Taranee, making her jump slightly. She spun around on the spot. Her eyes searched for another person first, before turning downwards to find a black cat, with crystal green eyes, looking up at her from the shadow of the house.

It was a few feet away from her, its silent approach having gone unnoticed. And in its mouth was the Heart of Kandrakar, swaying back and forth on its chain.

Before Taranee could think to do anything, the black cat turned, and ran from her. Taranee shouted after it and, without any consideration, pursued.

The pain in her wrist was almost unbearable, but she couldn't lose the heart. Each movement of her arm felt like someone was shoving daggers into her wrist. She tried to fight back the tears of pain that were blurring her vision but it was impossible.

The cat darted through fences and around corners. It wasn't fast enough to get completely out of Taranee's sight. Or maybe, it was, but it just wasn't trying to get away. Maybe, it was leading her someplace… maybe it was leading her into a trap?

Adrenalin pumping through her, completely distracted by her thoughts, Taranee sprinted out into the street. The blue light slammed into her. They had stayed in shadows up until that point and the light was far more powerful now than it had been before.

Terrible freezing cold burned Taranee. A scream escaped her lips as she shielded her face with her arms. Through the light and the burning in her eyes, she could see the cat, that had taken the Heart, streaking into the shadows on the other side of the street.

Mustering all the strength she had left, Taranee sprinted for the shadows, almost diving into them as she got close. The moment she was out of the light, the icy pain subsided. She lay on her side, panting, her arms wrapped around her.

She couldn't go on, she couldn't move anymore. Taranee closed her eyes. The cat meowed again. With a great effort Taranee opened her eyes a fraction of an inch. A sideways cat was looking at her, the Heart dangling from its mouth.

It was so close Taranee could have reached out and touched it but she couldn't move. Her whole body had gone numb with cold. All she could do was lay there and stare at the cat as it watched her with unblinking eyes.

Then she was moving away from the cat, upwards as if she were floating. Taranee's whole body shifted limply. Her face turned from the cat and to a man that was holding her in his powerful arms.

His face was pale-white and featureless, almost like a mask. Great black bird wings arched out from his back. He looked down at Taranee but did not speak to her. Then he began to walk, carrying her away.

Taranee's eyes slid from the man, to the cat that followed in tow, the Heart still dangling from its mouth. And then she closed her eyes again and knew nothing more.

* * *

When Taranee's eyes opened she found that both the blue light and the freezing cold had gone. A warm fire crackled in the center of the room. And she was no longer being carried by anyone, but was instead under what seemed to be many blankets.

She did not move, but searched with half open eyes, taking in her surroundings. They were in a room, a room that seemed vaguely familiar and yet not at the same time. One wall appeared to have what must have been windows, but they had been painted black.

Another wall had a large board of some kind, and Taranee finally realized that she must be in a class room. Her eyes came back to the fire. It was not magical in origin as she had first assumed, but was lit upon burning text books.

It was then, as she examined the flames, that she saw the other person in the room with her. At first, Taranee was confused by what she saw, for the other person seemed to be nothing more than a head upon a pile of cloth. But then she realized that the other person must be like herself, wrapped in blankets.

The more Taranee stared at her the more familiar the other person was. Until at last, she knew who was sitting across the fire from her! Taranee cried out, trying to struggle free of the binding blankets.

"Cornelia!" she shouted, panic in her voice. The other girl did not seem to hear Taranee, she simply continued to gaze into the fire, her eyes vacant. At last Taranee was free of the blankets. She tried to stand, but, forgetting about her wrist tried to use it to get up.

With a yelp of pain she collapsed back down, cradling her injury. Her eyes snapped back to the blond haired girl and something in Taranee's brain gave her pause. The other girl hadn't reacted to Taranee at all. And Cornelia didn't have blond hair anymore.

It wasn't Cornelia in the room with her. In fact, the longer Taranee stared at the other girl wrapped under the blankets the much less she looked like Cornelia. Even still, the resemblance was there. Finally Taranee made the connection, this wasn't Cornelia, this was her younger sister, Lillian!

Why hadn't she looked at Taranee? Why hadn't she turned to stone like everyone else? What was she doing here? And what was Taranee doing here for that matter?

The memories that had been forgotten in the moment of panic rushed back to Taranee and her hand flew to her neck. Quite to her surprise, she felt the smooth stone and polished metal of the Heart of Kandrakar dangling there.

It had come back, it hadn't been taken, it hadn't left her! She let out a sigh of relief.

"The door up in the sky is closed," Taranee looked away from the gem on her neck. Lillian was speaking to her but her eyes were still vacant and she was not looking at Taranee. "While blue light's touch wilts every rose. The silver serpent is the key, for finding your serenity."

"What?" asked Taranee, completely confused. Lillian's eyes suddenly snapped to Taranee and she felt as if she had been turned to stone by them.

"Soon the darkness shall attack. The prison cannot hold it back. And wandering among the stone, is the woman with no home. She seeks a daughter lost to her, but she is destine for Kandrakar."

"I wonder what she means," said a voice that made Taranee jump, the spell that held her broken. The man that had carried her stood in the doorway. Taranee had not imagined his pale face or raven black wings. He was not looking at Taranee but at Lillian.

"Who are you!" Taranee demanded, raising her fists defensively. The man looked at her and Taranee felt her fire-sight suddenly flicker briefly in her eyes.

She could see through the man, much the same ways she had looked through the dragon that held Hay Lin captive. Standing in the white fires that wrapped the man's body was a boy, a boy she recognized.

"Matt?" Taranee asked, as the normal world solidified around him once again.

"That's my name, isn't it?" asked the man, surprise in his voice. "It has been so long I'd forgotten." He looked at his hands as though he was expecting to find someone else's hands there. "I fashioned a new name, a better name," he looked up at Taranee, "call me Shagon."

"How did you…?" Taranee started, "How long have you been like this?"

"I'm not sure, a long time though," replied the masked man. "I think it was the magic of the Hart of Kandrakar combine with the Heart of Earth transformed me, so I could protect Lillian." He looked back at the small girl wrapped in blankets.

"But I wasn't strong enough," said Shagon. "Her sister was too powerful. And even after Lillian gave her the Heart willingly, Cornelia still did this to her."

"It wasn't Cornelia," said Taranee. "Not really. I think it was Cornelia that kept you all from being unmade." The masked man looked at her and even though she couldn't see his face she could tell he was confused.

"Something has been manipulating Cornelia." explained Taranee. "A place… a thing… called the Void. It's the nothingness beyond our universe. It wants to make us like it is, to turn us into nothing. And it thinks it needs all the Hearts to do that.

"It tried to take mine, but I got away," Taranee continued, her hand closing around the Heart hanging from her neck, while the heart in her chest burned with anguish. "I lost everything… everyone… trying to escape… Now I'm trapped here."

"You can't make a portal or something to Kandrakar?" asked the faceless man. Taranee shook her head.

"No, but," Taranee's eyes suddenly brightened as words echoed in her head. "But, Lillian just said it! The door up in the sky is closed!" Taranee repeated. "There is a way back to Kandrakar! The same way we got here, through a door up in the sky!"

"Except its closed," answered Shagon, his tone flat. "You can't go through a closed door."

"Then we just have to open it," explained Taranee. Shagon shook his head.

"She would have said it was open then, or that we had to open it," replied Shagon. Taranee opened her mouth, but Shagon spoke first. "Lillian has said many strange things since she became like this. She told me how to find you and bring you here. Lillian's words might be cryptic but I have learned enough of her to know what she means."

"But," Taranee protested.

"You are not supposed to go through the door in the sky," Shagon said, a finality to his voice.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked Taranee. "We can't just sit around and wait."

"What else did she say?" asked Shagon. Taranee felt slightly surprised by the question, she tried to think hard about the rest of Lillian's words but she couldn't recall them. Something about roses and serpents?

"The door up in the sky is closed," It wasn't Lillian speaking it this time, but a black cat, the same cat that had led her here. "While blue light's touch wilts every rose. The silver serpent is the key, for finding your serenity.

"Soon the darkness shall attack. The prison cannot hold it back. And wandering among the stone, is the woman with no home. She seeks a daughter lost to her, but she is destine for Kandrakar."

"That cat just spoke!" cried Taranee.

"This cat has a name," said the Cat sounding slightly offended. It hopped down from the desk where it had been lying. "My name is Napoleon, I am her protector."

"Napoleon has hardly left her side," explained Shagon. "He has heard all of her prophecies. That's how we knew where to find you and how to bring you here."

"You also could have just asked me," said Taranee.

"The rest of the rhyme," said the cat, its green eyes staring at Taranee expectantly. "What do you think it means?"

Taranee thought about the words, going over them in her head. Shagon was right, the first part was very clear, the door was closed… but the next part, after the blue light, there was something about a key… And didn't key's open doors?

Taranee asked the cat to repeat Lillian's words again, he did. The silver serpent is the key? What did that mean? And finding her serenity? Taranee had no idea.

The next verse was unmistakable however. The prison must be the Earth and it would not hold the Void back for long. But a woman wandering in the stone? And hadn't the words mentioned Kandrakar?

"None of it really makes any sense," said Taranee, shaking her head. "I mean what is the silver dragon?"

"Serpent," corrected the cat.

"What?" asked Taranee.

"The rhyme said Serpent, not dragon," explained Napoleon.

"But it meant dragon," said Taranee to herself. "It meant Hay Lin! It has a double meaning! It meant the Silver Dragon restaurant, that her parents owned, and that she lived at. And it meant the silver dragon beast that she's been turned into!

"I think…" said Taranee aloud. "I think, we're supposed to find Hay Lin. I think she is the key to getting us out of here!"

"Or to finding Serenity," interjected Shagon.

"Either way, it does not tell us where she is," said Napoleon.

"The silver dragon!" said Taranee excitedly.

"I don't think so," replied Shagon. "Lillian said the silver serpent, not the silver dragon."

"But she meant…" Taranee tried.

"Yes, she meant Hay Lin," answered Shagon, "but why use serpent instead of dragon?"

Taranee went over the words in her head again. Shagon was right, now that she thought about it again, she didn't think Lillian meant the silver dragon restaurant at all. But where then? Nothing else in the rhyme said anything about a location…

"But that's because I already know where Hay Lin went!" said Taranee, finishing her thought aloud. "I saw her in the sky, just after the blue sun appeared, except I didn't realize it was her at the time!"

She looked excitedly between Shagon and Napoleon, neither of them said anything, "she was heading towards the ocean. She was going to Shell Cave!"

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**HUGE THANK YOU to all of the nice people who left reviews last chapter:** DayDreamer9, Joe Habana, XV-Dragon, Lexvan, Manic-Wakko-Michel'Angelo **and** Darev! **Fanfinctiontastic reviews everyone! Thank you so much for sharing your insightful words with me!**

**And thank you to all my readers! Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for coming back every other week to get the next installment!**

**This chapter was a fair bit shorter than I first intended. In fact, when I started out to write it, I was pretty worried. There were so many things that HAD to go into this chapter, so many events that needed to be right here and now!**

**Truth be told I was starting to go a little crazy (well more so, obviously). Then I took a step back and reexamined the parts of the whole. And I realized that not everything had to go here. That the space I have left before we reach the end wasn't yet set in stone.**

**So once again, I moved things. Rearranged the world, as it were. For all the time I spend pre-planning, every story has been a great adventure for me. I'm never quiet sure what's really going to happen next. I can see the goal in the distance, but the road ahead is like a great jungle, filled with mystery and danger…**

**Next, next week, is the final part of this episode! Only six chapters to go until the end! So hang on tight we might almost be there but it's going to be a bumpy ride!**

**One last little tidbit, based on my internal naming scheme this is Season 3, Episode 3, Part 3, just thought I would share.  
**

**Starwin out.**


	12. E3 P4: Island of Oasis

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 3: Oasis

* * *

Part 4: Island of Oasis

* * *

Everything was spinning, everything was turning. Around and around, never stopping, never pausing. It did not go faster, it did not slow down. It simply spun. And carried by the spinning sea, dragged down into the depths of the endless ocean of Refuge, was a girl who had given up her name.

The girl had not let her name go willingly. She'd not understood what she had truly traded for passage. It had not been simply words, but the essence of herself. All things considered, she would have traded it away again, without hesitation. There was too much at stake to be concerned over something like a name.

She continued to spin, racing along the wall of a massive whirlpool. The funnel extended without end. There was no bottom, there was no top. It was simply an endless whirling tube of water, carrying her to the unknown.

A couple times, the girl with no name had to close her eyes as dizziness overtook her. It was not a pleasant sensation to spin without end. Nor was she truly comfortable to be carried away by the ocean currents.

After all, she was the Guardian of Water. The aqua blue ocean, that matched her eye color, should have been both a friend and protector! What she commanded, water should do! Yet, here it did not. Here, the water spun relentlessly and she could not stop it. It would not listen.

She closed her eyes again and thought of the people she had left behind. Dante, a former enemy turned… she had been about to think friend, but that was going too far. Ally, that was a better word. Even still, he had helped her quite a lot. He had guided her to the center of Refuge.

And then there was Liz, Will's astral drop. She hadn't come with the nameless girl either. Liz had said she was more like Will than Will was now, but the girl with no name had no idea what that could possibly mean.

Liz had decided to stay in the realm of water, while the girl with no name was swept away to who knew where. Briefly, she hoped it would be some place warm, some place dry, some place… like a beach…

The spinning suddenly stopped. The whirlpool collapsed and the girl with no name was surrounded by cold blue water once more. It pressed upon her from all sides, slowing her until she finally came to a stop.

Except, as the nameless girl opened her eyes, it wasn't the dark, murky water she had expected to see. The whirlpool must have carried her miles, thousands of miles maybe, down to the bottom of the ocean where there should have been no light. But never the less, there was.

Rays of golden sun were coming up from beneath the girl. She looked down and saw possibly the strangest thing yet. The bottom of the ocean was not sand, or rock, or anything solid. The bottom of the ocean was… the top?

Turning herself over, as if she had just been upside-down the girl swam the short distance to the surface. Her head broke through the water and out into clean warm air.

The waves here were slight. She bobbed up and down as they rolled past her. A warm light shined down on her face. There was the smell of salt on the air. And a brilliant blue sky sparkled overhead. A sun still noticeably absent from its great expanse.

Slowly she looked around, hoping against hope to see… land! An island, easily within swimming distance sat framed against the sky. Without hesitation, the girl set out at once, glancing up between strokes to make sure the land had not vanished whenever she looked away.

At first it seemed to be just one giant mountain, floating between the sea and the sky. But, as she got closer the girl could see dense forest rising from its shimmering white sand beaches. In a few moments more the nameless girl was rushing out of the water, running across the warm sand.

She basked in the dryness of not being completely submerged any longer! With a great crash she fell backwards onto the soft sand. Her arms and legs spread out, touching as much of the warmth as her fingers could reach. She closed her eyes and let out a satisfied sigh of relief.

She did not know where this warmth came from, and she did not care. The only thing that mattered at the moment was being dry, being out of the water, being warm. Her toes curled into the sand and she felt content to just lay there forever.

But something wasn't right. A sound, very distant, echoed on the wind. It was not words but something else. It was not the soft soothing roll of the ocean on the beach. It was not the cry of birds circling overhead, for, now that she had opened her eyes, she could see no birds.

The girl propped herself up upon her elbows and glanced along the beach. The sound was coming from further down the sand. Hesitantly, the girl wondered if she could ignore it. Except, now that she was aware of it, she doubted if she could block it out.

With a sigh of exhaustion, the girl with no name rolled over to her stomach before getting to her feet. Slowly she began to march down the beach towards the sound. It was far more noticeable now that she was standing.

The beach seemed to have lost some of its warmth as her feet pressed into the sand. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't the same warmth she had felt when she first arrived.

And something else was different too. Something she had trouble placing at first. It wasn't until she looked at her long shadow that the girl with no name realized what had changed.

It was getting darker. Somehow, even though there was no sun in the sky, twilight had settled upon the island. The sky was no longer blue but had filled with magnificent red and gold streaks. It was the most beautiful sunset the girl had ever seen, yet there was no sun!

"I can't wait until I get out of here," the girl whispered to herself, "this place is just too strange!"

She saw the person before she realized what the sound finally was. A young girl was sitting on the edge of the beach, between the sand and the grassy slope that led into the island. And she was crying into her hands.

The nameless guardian approached slowly and when she was only a few feet away, the crying child looked up. She recognized this child, she had seen her some place before, but she couldn't remember where. For a long moment they stared at each other, the crying child's tears halted by the nameless girl's approach.

"You're one of my sister's friends, aren't you?" asked the young girl. "I've seen you over before." She was Cornelia's little sister! That was where the girl with no name had seen her before. What had this fair haired child's name been? The older girl didn't know if she had ever learned it or not.

"Uh, yeah," the girl with no name answered hesitantly. "I'd tell you my name, but, well, I don't have one anymore." The child giggled, her recent tears sparkling on her cheeks in the dwindling twilight. She must have thought the nameless girl was being silly.

"Well, no-name," said the child, the older girl found herself slightly annoyed by the nickname. But the nameless girl bit back a retort. If this child was here, it meant that she had died. "My name is Lillian and I… I'm…" The smile faded from her face, and she looked like she might start crying again. "I'm looking for my sister…"

"Cornelia is… dead?" asked the girl with no name, surprise in her voice. Lillian looked at the girl with no name, her small eyes searching the nameless girl's face, as if the answer were on written on her forehead.

"Is that what this place is?" asked Lillian softly, her eyes at last leaving the nameless girl and sweeping across the beach. "I wasn't sure. I just sort of followed after her." The girl with no name raised a confused eyebrow.

"The Heart of Earth, I had to give it to the thing inside my sister," explained Lillian. The nameless girl opened her mouth, but Lillian continued before she could interrupt. "I didn't have a choice. If I hadn't it would have taken the Heart.

"And when I gave it up, I kind of slipped away. I was pulled up through the sky, past the clouds and beyond the stars. Except I wasn't alone. My sister was with me! Flying right beside me and telling me everything would be alright.

"Then I woke up on this beach, and she was gone, and I can't find her and…" her words trailed off into tears. The nameless girl moved closer and kneeled in the sand. Gently, she placed her hand on Lillian's shoulder, trying to reassure her.

But the instant the nameless girl touched Lillian, she felt something strange. Lillian didn't feel—well there was no other word for it—dead. The girl with no name simply couldn't explain it, but she knew that Lillian was the same as her!

"You're still alive," whispered the nameless girl. Lillian looked at the older girl slightly puzzled. "You're just like me, trying to find someone in death and bring them back." Lillian suddenly looked angry.

"I don't want to drag Cornelia back! That's horrible!" cried Lillian, shrugging the brown haired girls hand off her shoulder. "Why would anyone want to do such a thing!"

"I'm sorry," the brown haired girl apologized. "I didn't mean…" Lillian suddenly stood. "I really am sorry!" The nameless girl reached out, gently grabbing Lillian's small arm so that she wouldn't run off. But Lillian made no motion to leave.

"Even if you are sorry," said Lillian her calm eyes watching the nameless girl silently. "It doesn't mean your going to stop." The girl with no name did not answer. "Even when you realize what you've done, and it's too late."

Lillian's next words were soft and musical. The movements of her mouth did not match the sounds from her lips. "There is a price you'll have to pay, they shall not let you slip away. And when at last you reach your friend, you will help bring existence end."

"What?" asked the nameless girl, so surprised that she let go of Lillian's arm.

"I said, I'm going to find my sister," Lillian repeated. "You're welcome to come with me. But I don't want you to talk about bringing anyone back."

The brown haired guardian nodded slightly. She was sure that was what Lillian had just said to her, yet, she remembered other words, different words… something about a price and an end…

Lillian began to walk away from the beach, the girl with no name following silently behind her. In a few steps they had left the warm white sand of the beach behind. The girl with no name could feel the damp green grass beneath her feet. They walked slowly across the small field that spanned the short distance between sand and trees. In a moment more they both vanished into the lush green jungle.

* * *

Tall trees towered around them on all sides. The trunks were so big around that it would have taken three of the girl with no name to wrap her arms around one. Bushes covered most of the forest floor while great thick vines dangled down from high above.

There was no path along the ground and Lillian's pace was difficult to keep up with. She wasn't running, but she was smaller and fit through the tighter spaces with ease.

Something odd about the jungle drew the girl with no name's attention away. It should have been very dark in here, especially with the sunset. Yet it was not. The level of light remained the same. As if, the light was not coming from the sky at all, but from all around them.

The girl with no name regretted her momentary lapse in concentration. Her foot stepped on uneven ground. With a cry her hands flailed in the air, trying to grasp onto anything to stop her fall. But with a thud she fell backwards onto her butt.

The ground was very hard here, not dirt as she had expected, but stone! The trees were growing out of solid stone. And not just growing, but really growing! She could actually see the roots moving, the trunks expanding, the high branches above reaching out to the sky.

It was like watching one of those fast motion film things she'd seen in school. Time-something's… She couldn't remember what they'd been called, but she'd always liked the one with the flowers blooming.

Much like the warm beach she had imagined, as the girl with no name thought about the flowers, a rose bush sprouted from the ground nearby. Its long thorny stocks spun in a beautiful dance as it grew upwards, spreading its arms.

The deep red buds on each stalk swelled slightly before opening in a dazzling display. The only thing she could do was watch the transfixing ballet.

A small hand waved in front of her face and the girl with no name was pulled back. Lillian was standing over her, looking slightly worried.

"Are you ok?" Lillian asked.

"Fine," replied the nameless girl. The plants seemed to have stopped moving, or were at least back to growing at normal speed.

"Good, no-name!" said Lillian brightly. The girl with no name frowned. "I think my sister is this way!" and with a tug, the small girl pulled the older girl along behind her.

Once again, the girl with no name became lost in her own thoughts as she let Lillian lead her on. She was about to face Cornelia, the girl who had killed Will. The girl who had started her on this insane quest! What did you say to your most hated enemy… after they were already dead?

The trees suddenly parted. The clearing they had stumbled into couldn't have been more different from the forest behind them. Jagged rocks stuck out of the stone ground at odd angles, casting long, dark shadows across the ground in the dwindling light. There was no plant life here, as if it were afraid to come near. It was like a great scar in the forest.

Lillian's pace slowed, and her grip tightened on the girl with no name's hand. It was eerily silent and still here. There was no breeze, no sound. The two girls ducked under one of the large angled stones, its edges were razor sharp. They had to move carefully here.

Visibility was limited by the number of pointed rocks. It was like walking in a thick forest of stone. Except that these stones felt anything like trees. These stones felt menacing somehow, even dangerous. Cornelia could be hiding behind any of them, ready to jump out and attack! Or, she might not even be here at all.

They continued to move deeper into the rock forest. The trees had vanished from sight behind them. The girl with no name couldn't tell which way was out anymore. Her own hand tightened on Lillian's.

The girl with no name suddenly found herself hoping they did not find Cornelia in this place. She hoped they would just pass through and return to the safety of the jungle.

As the rocks in front of them parted the girl with no name saw the forest rising before her. She thought that her wish had once again been answered. But blocking their path, her hair shining golden in the twilight, was Cornelia.

She was dressed in a gown of flowing greens and gold, that looked as if it might have been fashioned from the plant life. Her feet were bare, pale white against the ash colored stone. Cornelia's brilliant blue eyes looked at Lillian with terrible sadness.

"Corny!" shouted Lillian, trying to run to her sister, but the nameless girl held her back.

"Don't call me Corny," said Cornelia. Her eyes turned slowly to the girl with no name. "I'm so sorry, I really am…" Her voice truly contained regret, but the girl with no name did not answer. "I didn't want to… I never wanted…" words failed her and they all stood in silence for a long moment.

"But it wasn't her!" cried Lillian, looking between the two older girls. Both girls looked down at the blond haired child that stood between them. "It was the emptiness!"

"What?" asked the girl with no name. "The emptiness?"

"Not the emptiness," whispered Cornelia, "The Void."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," replied the nameless girl. "And I don't care." Anger finally seemed to come through in her voice. The memories of what Cornelia had done were flooding back to her.

How could she be so calm? How could she not want to hurt Cornelia, to inflict the same pain upon her as she had done to the girl with no name. But the nameless girl did not move, she did not shout. When she spoke her voice was calm but oddly unnatural.

"You killed Will," said the nameless girl. "You killed her! I saw you do it, I saw it in your eyes!"

"Yes," said Cornelia simply.

"But you didn't!" cried Lillian. She tried to pull free of the nameless girl again, but to no success. "It wasn't you! It was the emptiness!" the girl with no name opened her mouth to say something, but Cornelia spoke first.

"She means the Void," answered Cornelia, "the emptiness beyond our universe. It's not really empty, because being empty would mean it could be filled with something. It's more like nothingness, than emptiness."

"Ok…" said the girl with no name. "What does the Void have to do with any of this?"

"Couldn't you see it?" exclaimed Lillian. "It was inside her, eating her up!"

"Inside?" the nameless girl was completely lost. "You mean like, it was controlling her or something?"

"Not exactly," explained Cornelia. "It was hiding, in the Soul of Rakadin… except, it wasn't really the Soul of Rakadin anymore, not when I took it from Serenity. It was more like the Soul… of the Void." The girl with no name looked completely confused.

In that moment Lillian was finally able to pull free. She eluded the nameless girl's attempts to hold her back and ran to her sister, wrapping her small arms around the older girl's waist. Cornelia smiled at her and returned a one armed hug.

"It wasn't a one way thing, the Void didn't completely press its desires upon me," continued Cornelia. "I learned things from it, heard its thoughts in my head. Most of it I still don't understand.

"But I did make sense of some of its thoughts. There are two parts to all things," continued Cornelia. "A great balance, light and darkness, fire and water, man and woman, body and soul. Our universe is so divided, Life and Death. And the Void, it too is two halves, nothing and everything.

"Everything the Void is was poured into the Soul of Rakadin. When I became the new owner of the Soul, the Void began to creep into me, to balance me. It made me like itself. At times, I could see everything and then, nothing…

"But it could not change me. It could not fill me with nothing while I still remained. So it began to remove parts of me. Memories, emotions, friendships. Everything I was begun to bleed away. I was in my body, but, not. I was here. Half in death, half in life.

"When I killed Will, all I could see was nothing. It wasn't what I wanted but it was what happened. And things only became worse from then on. My thoughts faded away in my head, vanishing into the darkness that was consuming me.

"I watched powerless to act as I took Heart after Heart. Sometimes I would know what I was doing, but I didn't know if it was right or wrong anymore. And it whispered to me, the Void. It told me what I should do, what I had to do.

"It made me go to Earth. It wanted to unmake all of the humans. Not just in Heatherfield, but on the whole planet. Soon they would know of me. And magic or not, they had great powers of destruction.

"I used every ounce of strength I had left to protect them. I made them stone, frozen in time. The Void seemed quite fond of the solution, and I even think that it considered the act its own idea.

"Soon we found my sister," Cornelia's eyes fell on Lillian and she hugged her younger sister tighter. "I could not reason with the Void, I could not stop it. It was just like Will all over again, except, it would have destroyed her. But Lillian gave me her Heart willingly and the Void left her alone.

"Then the Oracle himself came to stop me. Taranee and Hayden and Elyon were with him. I told them to run. I shouted. But the Void heard me. It didn't need me anymore. It filled me so full of nothing that I couldn't remain. The last of me slipped away unnoticed, unable to watch anyone else die."

"Why," asked the girl with no name, her voice sounded horse in her throat, as if she hadn't used it for days. "Why did it pick you, why did it do all this?" Cornelia shrugged.

"I don't know," replied Cornelia. "I wanted to stop, I really…"

"No," interrupted the girl with no name. "You don't have to apologize. I'm the one that should be sorry. I thought the worst of you when I should have known you would have never…" Her words were cut off as Cornelia flung herself forward, wrapping her arms around the girl with no name in a crushing hug. "I'm so sorry Cornelia."

As Cornelia broke away the ground around them began to tremble. The spikes of jagged earth sunk slowly back into the stone. Trees sprang up all around them. In a moment, the desolate clearing that had been a scar upon the forest was gone.

"That, was really weird," said the girl with no name. "I'd be totally freaked out right now if, you know, I wasn't in death and all." Cornelia smiled briefly before becoming serious again.

"You're not dead," said Cornelia, her voice half surprised half joyful. "But how are you here? Why are you here?"

"You aren't dead either," replied the girl with no name, as they pulled apart.

"My body is still walking around without me," said Cornelia with a shiver. "The Void might have taken it over, but it's not dead. As long as my body's alive so am I. But I'm never going back to it." Cornelia added sternly.

"Unless we can find a way to defeat the Void and remove it from you," said the nameless girl hopefully. Cornelia, smiled but shook her head.

"I think it's far beyond that point," said Cornelia her expression somewhat accepting. "When the Void leaves my body, I don't think there will be anything to go back to. But it's alright," the girl with no name had frowned at Cornelia's words, "I'm not angry about it.

"Now come on, you haven't answered my question," Cornelia pressed, changing the subject from herself. "Why are you here?" The brown haired girl's eyes flicked to Lillian, who was glaring at her.

"I came…" she started, her voice dry in her throat. With a deep breath, she said, very fast, "I-came-to-bring-back-Will." Cornelia blinked, then frowned.

"You can't do that!" cried Cornelia. The girl with no name looked surprised. "The Void might have manipulated me, but I know what I saw. Will is going to bring an end to the universe!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Will would never do anything like that!" cried the girl with no name.

"I can show you!" said Cornelia, an edge of panic in her voice.

"You can… what?" asked the nameless girl.

"In Haven you can see the universe how it is, any part, any place, any person," Cornelia explained. "In Refuge you can see the universe as it was, through the memories of everyone and everything that ever existed within it. And in Oasis, that's here, you can see the universe that is to come, the future. But only the dead can see it properly."

"You're saying we can see the future here?" asked the girl with no name skeptically.

"Not properly, not clearly," replied Cornelia. "This is where the Oracle glimpsed futures. This is where his soul journeyed to see what was to come. I'm sure you've seen flashes of your future here."

"No," said the girl with no name before she could consider it. Except, now that she thought about it, she had. She had seen the beach as she had left Refuge. She had seen the flowers before they grew. And she had seen this clearing restored when it had been barren rocks. "I guess I have, but it's all been really trivial stuff. Nothing like seeing the end of the universe."

"I'm more connected to this place, rooted you might say. I've seen the deep paths of the future. Let me show you what I see in my nightmares." Before the girl with no name could protest, Cornelia reached out and touched her forehead.

Instantly the world filled with a darkness broken by millions of points of light. Distant stars twinkled across the endless sky.

Below her was no ground. She was floating, in space. A short distance away was Will. Her arms and legs were spread out from her body as far as they would go, as if she were trying to touch the most distant stars. And to the nameless girl's surprise, she seemed to be doing just that!

As Will's hands swept across the sky, the stars began to go out. The light of the universe faded. Terrible, never ending darkness pressed in on all sides.

The girl with no name cried for her to stop, begged for Will to stop. Sadly, Will glanced back at her before the universe ceased and there was nothing.

The nameless girl gasped. The forest had returned around her and Cornelia was pulling her hand back. It had felt so real, so terrible. And it had been Will, turning out the stars.

"You can't bring her back," said Cornelia quietly. "That's the future that waits for us if you do. She will destroy everything."

"I don't believe it," replied the nameless girl. "Will wouldn't… She'd never…"

"She isn't the person you used to know," said Cornelia softly. "Her whole life has been a lie. Her whole existence manipulated. She wants it to end, she wants to be free from the control of others…

"I won't let that nightmare come true," said the nameless girl defiantly. "I can reason with her. And I've come too far to turn back now!" With that she began to walk deeper into the forest. Glancing at each other, Lillian and Cornelia followed reluctantly.

* * *

The jungle grew thicker and more wild as they moved deeper into it. It was slow going, but the girl with no name was thankful that at least Oasis hadn't just been a giant desert. It was certainly more full of interesting features than either Haven or Refuge had been.

And they had just come across something new. A giant mountain rose up from the ground in front of them, blocking any further progress forward. They began to circle it, looking for either a path that would take them over, or a cave that might take them through.

The girl with no name felt that the path forward lay within the mountain. Cornelia tried to command the mountain to open for them, but much like the nameless girl, her powers seemed to do little good here.

What was the point of being able to manipulate the elements if you couldn't do it when you needed to?

So the three of them continued to walk.

"Does anyone smell that," asked Lillian. The nameless girl sniffed the air and coughed. It smelled like smoke.

Looking up through the trees they could see a great cloud of ash rising from the forest ahead. Was there a fire ahead of them? Where they walking into a burning storm?

It wasn't long before they found the cause. A river of glowing red magma flowed from a enormous hole in the side of the mountain. The Volcano, the nameless girl corrected herself for while there was no eruption up top a great column of smoke was rising out of the mountain.

The fiery stream flowed steadily out of the rock face and down to the ocean. It must be miles and miles long, and more than a hundred meters across. There would be no way they could safely get to the other side.

The surface bubbled and churned and rolled. Lillian let out a shriek and for one terrible moment, the brown haired girl thought that she might have fallen in. But she was safe, well, as safe as anyone could be crouching next to a stream of boiling rock.

With a cry, Cornelia ran to her sister, pulling her away from the edge.

"I saw something in the lava!" Lillian said, her face pale. "I saw… a face!" both Cornelia and the nameless girl exchanged uneasy looks.

The girl with no name was still standing and she glanced sideways into the fire. It looked like normal lava to her, rolling slowly towards the ocean at the edge of Oasis. Except, the longer she looked at it, the less it looked like lava and the more it looked like… bodies!

She stumbled back with a shout, falling next to Lillian and Cornelia.

"Lillian is right," said the girl with no name. "There are things inside the lava! And I think they're people!"

"That's impossible," said Cornelia. "I can feel the heat from here, there is no way there are people in the lava!" the nameless girl shrugged, lost for an explanation.

"Well we can't go any further this way," said the girl with no name disappointedly. "Do you think it makes sense to go back?"

"But back is the wrong way," said another voice that hadn't come from any of the girls. It had come from behind them, from the forest. The girls quickly found the thing that had spoken.

It was a great snake, slithering along the forest floor. Instead of scales, it had green and gold leafs covering it's huge round body. It raced towards them with starling speed. Before any of them could move, its coils had encircled the girls.

Its huge head rose high above them, and the glistening green eyes gazed upon them.

"I am Earth," proclaimed the massive snake. "Not a spirit or elemental, but the element itself. You have traveled deep through my realm, little girls. And here, you can go no further." The girl with no name stood, looking up at the Element above her.

"I have to go further," said the nameless girl. "I've come too far to give up now. I gave Haven my name. I gave Refuge my tears. What do you want from me Oasis?"

"The others have been generous," said Earth. "I will take from you your body."

"Woah, woah," said the nameless girl in surprise, "this fiction is rated T for Teen, I don't think…"

"The first thing to be discarded when you die is your body," continued Earth. "The living keep their body while you give yours to an element. Burned in fire, adrift in the ocean, carried in the wind or buried in the Earth.

"When you die, you can cry no more tears, so the living cry them for you," explained Earth. "When you die, you cannot speak your name, so the living speak it for you, until they forget."

"So do I get my body back when I'm ready to go home?" asked the girl with no name. "Cause I'm going to kinda need it." Earth did not answer. The girl with no name looked back at Cornelia and Lillian, both stared at her. Lillian looked angry but Cornelia's expression was unreadable.

"I'm… sorry," said the nameless girl. "I have to see this through." She turned back to look at Earth. "Alright, you can have my body, just don't do anything strange with it!"

The coils of Earth unwrapped from around them and as they did, the girl with no name felt the snake body brush against her. It felt like it was taking a part of her with.

"Follow the river of fire," said Earth its head nodding towards the great cave where the lava was flowing from. "Without your body, it cannot burn you."

She looked back at Cornelia. "I'll bring Will back. I'll set everything right. The Oracle wouldn't have set me on this path if it wasn't the right thing to do… at least I don't think he would've."

The girl with no name moved towards the bank of the lava river. It still felt hot, but not like molten rock hot. Carefully she slid her foot towards it, expecting her toes to ignite at any moment. But they did not.

Suddenly the ground gave way beneath her feet and she tumbled forward into the fiery lava with a scream. Cornelia shouted for her, panic filling her face. But the nameless girl did not surface.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**A HUGE GINORMOUS (that's giant and enormous) THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! **Lexvan, Joe Habana, XV-Dragon, DayDreamer9 **and **Darev! **Thank you all for your words of support!**

**And MIORMOUS thank you to all my readers! (you'll have to figure out that word on your own)**

**We've reached yet another episodes end, now there will be a four month break before we start up again… No, I'm just kidding. 2 Years before we start up again! Alright, alright… next chapter on April 17… 2020…**

**Anyhow, enough meanness… Last chapter was a bit of a tease. I did intended it to be much longer than it was, but my cliffhanger sense were tingling on the last line and I just had to leave it there! Don't worry, next chapter (the first chapter of the last episode) picks up where Episode 3 Part 3 left off.**

**We are nearing the end game, only five chapters left! Crazy, I know!**

**A little bit about this chapter, then I'll shut up. Oasis started out as an Island of Sand, with a single spot (where Cornelia was) that had an Oasis! But I decided to flip it. After all, we already went through a desert in Unmaking the World (book 1).**

**I have a lot more notes, but they are like pages long, and a lot of it is spoilers, so, until next time!**

**Starwin out.**


	13. E4 P1: Help

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Sanctuary

* * *

Part 1: Help

* * *

The empty black sky was cloudless and vacant. No distant stars twinkled on the curtain of shadows. No moon cast down its silver glow. It was as if the heavens above had been stolen away and left empty.

Under the sky, far below, where the air became the ground, was the city of Heatherfield. It sat in an endless night that was not really night at all. The planet on which Heatherfield existed was called Earth and it had once spun around a great golden sun.

As the world turned, night and day would flicker across its surface in a never ending game of tag with one another. But there was no more night. There was no more day. The golden sun had gone from the sky, replaced by a blue ball of fire.

This new fiery object was not a sun. It did not dance with the planet. It did not fill it with light. And it did not bring warmth.

The roaring blue sphere in the sky poured out its terrible cold light, freezing everything below. Yet, it was more then simply cold. It stole warmth, taking it away from anything it touched, as though absorbing life itself.

It now appeared that winter had come early for Heatherfield. The grass had turned icy white. Trees had begun to lose their leafs until most were nothing more than skeletons.

Against the icy surface were two small objects. They darted from shadow to shadow, never staying long in the light. From the height of the blue fire, they were nearly invisible, smaller even than ants in the sand. Even still, the blue sun watched them.

* * *

Three blocks. That was how far they had come. In the shadow of the house Taranee Cook shook the ice from her heavy jacket. Across from her was a masked man called Shagon. He had on what appeared to be a black cloak that was frozen with ice.

Yet, on closer inspection, the cloak was not made from fabric but from raven feathers. In fact, it was not a cloak at all, but wings. He had wrapped them around himself for protection.

Taranee shivered slightly as she commanded the element of fire to her aid. A flame, that hovered just above the ground, burned without fuel, as if consuming the air. Holding her hands out towards it Taranee let out a sigh at the touch of warmth.

"The journey will be more difficult than we thought," said a low voice. The words had come from Taranee's direction, except it hadn't been her that spoke. The black cat, that had been clinging to her shoulder leapt lightly to the ground. "It has taken hours and we have come only a short way."

With a flurry Shagon opened his great wings, tossing away the last of the snow. In his arms was another person, a small girl, wrapped in blankets and kept safe from the cold.

Her name was Lillian Hale and she did not move. Her eyes were closed and it was impossible to tell if she was breathing or not. Shagon moved her closer to the fire so that the warmth could fill her body.

"We don't have a choice, Napoleon," said Taranee, addressing the black cat. Napoleon hopped from the ground up to Shagon's arm and curled up on Lillian. "We couldn't just stay there and do nothing. I know we have to find Hay Lin. I know she is the key to getting us out of here!"

"Even if she is," replied Shagon. "It won't do us any good if we freeze to death before we can find her."

"You don't think she's in the cave?" asked Taranee. When they had started out towards the Cave, both Napoleon and Shagon had insisted they come with.

"We believe your instincts are right," answered Napoleon, before Shagon could speak. "But that doesn't do us any good if we cannot get there. Perhaps, we could move faster if you transformed." The cat's green eyes fell on the gem hanging around Taranee's neck.

The Heart of Kandrakar, Taranee had become its keeper. With the gem, she could become more powerful. Except, she had already tried to transform, to no success.

"I already told you," said Taranee, her voice irritated. "I can't transform. I don't know why. Maybe the fall broke it or something!"

"Maybe you should try again," said the cat. If it hadn't been a cat talking to her, Taranee was sure there would have been frustration upon Napoleon's face.

With a sigh, Taranee took hold of the Heart, willing its power to flow forth and change her. But nothing happened. The Heart didn't even respond. After a moment she let it go with a sigh.

"Nothing," said Taranee. "I don't feel anything at all!" The magical flame keeping them warm went out suddenly with her frustration. The cold pressed in upon them.

Napoleon leapt clear as Shagon closed his wings around the girl in his arms. In a second bound the cat landed on Taranee's shoulder.

"We should keep moving then," said Napoleon. "The cold is getting worse. If we want any chance of reaching Shell Cave we need to keep moving."

Taranee pulled the coat back over them. It was far too large for her, they had found it in one of the class rooms, it must have belonged to a teacher. It wasn't very warm after having been frozen and unfrozen several times now, but it blocked the icy light and that was what counted.

Taking the lead, Taranee moved to the edge of the shadows. She gazed at the dazzling white world colored in blue light. They had reached a street where they would need to cross.

Cars and people were motionless. Some of the cars had come to a gradual stop, while others had swerved off the road into buildings. The people inside the cars had been turned to solid stone, the same as the people on the street.

Taranee tried not to think about them. She took a deep breath, focused on the shadows of safety on the far side of the street and dashed for them.

The moment she entered the blue light, pain washed over her whole body. She did not dare stop. She was across the front lawn of the house. Frozen breath burned in her lungs.

She was leaping off the curb into the street. Her eyes stung with cold. She was halfway there. Her legs were becoming numb. She was running up the driveway, each step taking more and more effort.

Taranee tripped and tumbled to the ground, stopping just short of the shadows where the blue light couldn't touch her. A hand grabbed her arm and she was dragged the last few feet to safety by Shagon.

Both of them were breathing hard. That had been the worst crossing yet. Taranee was trembling so badly from the cold that she could hardly focus to start a fire. But after several attempts, red flames sprung to life.

They were not as warm as they had been previously. Because Taranee was unable to transform, she had to use her own magic, a magic, that was fueled by her life force. And the blue sun overhead was steeling that away every time they went under it.

Taranee lay on the ground unable to get up. They couldn't keep this up. They couldn't keep running from hiding spot to hiding spot. They needed a new plan. They needed a better way to get to the beach!

Napoleon stuck his black furry head out from under Taranee's coat. His pink nose twitched as he sniffed the air.

"Do you smell that?" asked the cat. Taranee tried to detect any scent in the air, but she didn't smell anything. Napoleon leapt free of Taranee and paced in a circle under the glow of her fire. "I smell… someone else."

Finding the strength to sit up Taranee forced herself from the ground. The warmth of the fire seemed to give her renewed energy.

"I think they are this way," said Napoleon, and he darted along the ground, moving through the shadows.

Shagon offered Taranee a hand. Apparently he was strong enough to hold Lillian in one arm. Taranee took hold and was lifted to her feet with ease. Silently, they followed after Napoleon.

The cat moved slowly, stopping every now and then to sniff the air again. Several times they had to change directions and doubled back, as there was no way forward but through the blue light.

At last they came to a stop when they could go no further. This was a major intersection, wider than any street they had crossed before. Many cars were stopped at a light that would never change. Crowds of people waited at its edges, never to cross.

Except, one of the statues was moving! A person was wandering among the stone, under the freezing light of the blue sky. Taranee thought she must be seeing things. No one could be out there and still be alive!

There was only one way to be certain. Once again, Taranee commanded her fire-sight to fill her eyes. The world dissolved into intangible flames. Even with all the fires, the world was dark. It was almost unbearable to look at. It was like… like looking into the Void!

Taranee had to force herself not to close her eyes or turn off her gifts of vision. The stone people were empty of fire, Taranee bit her lip, holding back tears. Finally, focused, she found what—who—she was looking for.

There was someone out there! Someone made of golden white flames. The person was walking between the stone people, examining them, searching them.

Taranee wanted to run to the person. Without thinking she reached out into the light. Intense pain bit at her fingers. Yet Taranee hardly felt it. With her fire-sight still flickering in her eyes she could see the hidden world beyond her skin. She watched as the flames of her hand bled into the air, pulled upwards towards the sun…

She truly felt the pain, and pulled her hand out of the light. The sun really was sucking away life force. She had seen it.

Blinking hard, Taranee extinguished her fire-sight. The world snapped back into being. It was hard to stare at the cold blue world, but Taranee searched with all her might to find the person in the stone once more.

However, Taranee did not need to search very hard, for the person was now moving towards them, almost running. And Taranee recognized the person!

Panic suddenly flooded through her body. She was more afraid of this person than the terrible sun overhead. Not because this person was evil but because this woman, for it was a woman with blue hair striding towards them, would ask things of Taranee that she did not want to say.

Despite the strong urge to run, Taranee held her ground. In seconds, Susan Vandom had closed the last few feet to Taranee. She wrapped her arms around the young girl in a tearful hug. She was saying words that Taranee couldn't rightly hear, her ears didn't seem to be working properly.

It wasn't until Susan Vandom release Taranee and repeated her question that Taranee finally heard and understood.

"Are you alright?" Susan asked, genuinely concerned. "How did you avoid turning to stone? How did you get here? Where is Will?" Taranee felt the bottom of her stomach drop out. The thing she had dreaded, the question she did not want to answer…

"I…" Taranee had been about to say she was fine, but she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. "Miss Vandom…" said Taranee, trying to speak again, her voice shaky. The expression in Susan's eyes seemed to already guess Taranee's words before she spoke them. "Will… Will is… she's dead…"

"No," said Susan sharply. It wasn't disbelief in her voice but absolute certainty as if saying so made it true. "She isn't… She can't be… I've seen her, in my dreams…"

"I'm sorry," Taranee broke in. "I tried, I really did, but I couldn't stop Cor… I couldn't stop the Void." Susan's eyes suddenly widened. Had she heard that Taranee had meant to say Cornelia?

"Did you say, the Void?" asked Susan, her words oddly quiet. Taranee nodded, so many strange things had happened to her of late, but none quite as strange as this.

Did Susan Vandom know what the Void was? Taranee wondered to herself. But how could she possibly know about it? Had Will told her?

Susan smiled at the expression on Taranee's face. "I know a great many things," said Susan. "I know of Kandrakar. I know Will was chosen to be a guardian. And I'm going to assume you were as well."

Taranee opened her mouth, then closed it, unsure how to respond. She couldn't believe that Will had let out their secret.

"Now is not the time for explanations," continued Susan. "I see you have the Heart of Kandrakar, which means you're its Keeper." Taranee nodded, still unable to find words. "Can you create a portal off this world?" Taranee shook her head.

"I was afraid of that," said Susan thoughtfully. "Where were you headed before you found me?"

"Shell Cave," said the cat on Taranee's shoulder. The voice made Taranee jump, she had forgotten Napoleon was there. Susan smiled at the cat, seeming not to find a talking cat strange at all.

"Then we should continue in that direction," said Susan.

"We can't," exclaimed Taranee at last finding her voice. "Shell Cave is more than two miles from here, and every time we go out into the light…" Taranee's words trailed off as she noticed that Susan was standing out in the light, completely unharmed.

"How… are you doing that?" asked Taranee. Susan smiled and held out her hand to Taranee.

"I can show you."

* * *

Blue light continued to flood down from the sky, painting the world in ghostly colors. The going was much faster and far less deadly, with Susan's protection. How she was doing it, she had not said, but the touch of the blue light was almost unnoticeable now.

Leading the way was Taranee and upon her shoulder was the Cat Napoleon. Holding tightly to her hand, as if Taranee might try and slip away, was Will's mother. And bringing up the rear was Shagon. With one arm he held Lillian curled up under his wings.

After what seemed like hours, they reached the beach. A long slope of grass led down to an asphalt parking lot. The edge of the lot pressed up against the beach, where sand overflowed sometimes. Few cars were parked here and Taranee tried to ignore the statues of people frozen in place.

They quickly made their way down to the sand. Shell Cave was still a good walk from here and was only accessible from the beach. The sand slowed their pace considerably.

As they walked, Taranee wondered how they could possibly have made it here without Susan's help. There was no cover from the wrath of the blue sun above.

Taranee's eyes turned to the ocean and she wondered if that could have protected her. Except, something was wrong with the Ocean. Taranee didn't stop walking but her golden eyes scanned the glassy surface. The water, it wasn't moving…

"It's frozen," whispered a soft voice in her ear. Taranee shook with a start, snapped out of her thoughts. The talking cat was looking at the water with just as much interest as Taranee.

But it couldn't be frozen, it didn't look like ice, it looked like the regular, greenish-blue ocean! Yet, the longer Taranee looked at it the more she had to agree. Something was definitely wrong. The waves weren't moving, there was no sound of the water at all.

Forcing herself to look away Taranee turned from the unmoving water, trying not to think about it. Further up the beach she could see the outcropping of rocks that marked the spot where Shell Cave stood. They were almost there!

Taranee quickened her pace slightly. In moments the entrance loomed over them, dark and uninviting. All her memories of Shell Cave seemed to be wrong now that she was standing in front of it.

This wasn't a magical place to escape and hang out, it was the maw of a terrible beast, ready to devour them. But she couldn't stop now, they had come too far!

Taking a deep breath Taranee moved towards the cave, but Susan pulled her to a stop. Slightly annoyed Taranee looked back at Susan, about to ask her why she was holding them back. But Susan spoke first.

"You should look before we leap," said Susan. Taranee's brow furled in confusion. "See beyond the world, see the universe. Know what is behind and ahead."

'What the hell is Susan talking about?' thought Taranee. "My fire-sight!" cried Taranee, surprised she had forgotten it. She had been so caught up in the moment that it hadn't even occurred to her.

Turning back to the Cave, Taranee forced her eyes to look past the world, to see the fire hiding within. The sand fell away, the rocks shattered and empty darkness of the lifeless world pressed in upon Taranee's eyes.

She remembered now why she did not want to use her fire-sight. It was so painful to see this emptiness. But she fought the urge to turn it off. She looked deep into the cave, searching for any signs of life. And she found it.

Flickering and small, fire burned in the depths of Shell Cave. Who or what it was, she could not tell at this distance. But the shape did not look human.

"There is something in there," said Taranee, blinking away her fire-sight and seeing a world filled with shapes once more. "I don't know what it is, but it must be Hay Lin!"

Once again, Taranee tried to pull them into the cave but still Susan did not move.

"Come on!" shouted Taranee, now feeling angry. She contemplated pulling free of Susan and just running the ten or so feet to the cave, but she doubted she would be able to make it. "We came all this way to find her and you want to stop right before we get to her?"

"Just remember who you are seeking, is not who you are trying to find," replied Susan and at last she took a step forward. Thankful to be moving again, Taranee hurried towards the cave. They left the reach of the blue light, and into the claws of darkness.

The cave quickly extinguished all light, and Taranee commanded fire to ignite at her finger tips. There was a strong smell of the ocean in here. The sand floor began to tilt downwards into the earth. Soon the sand was gone completely, replaced by slippery stone. Small pools of water were trapped along the path so that they had to step carefully over them

Taranee was trying to focus on the task ahead, but Susan's words kept popping into her thoughts. No matter how much she wanted too, she was unable to ignore them. But it was silly, she was seeking Hay Lin. She was trying to find Hay Lin!

They rounded the bend and at the same moment Taranee saw what was ahead of her, she realized what Susan had meant. She was trying to find Hay Lin, but she was seeking… a dragon!

Glaring blue eyes locked onto Taranee. A great silver scaled body stretched wall to wall and back again. And jaws of bladed teeth were open ready to bite.

There was no where to go. The cave was too narrow for Shagon or Susan to get around Taranee and help her fight. There was no way to retreat. They would be easy targets all lined up, ready to be eaten.

Well, Taranee was not going to be eaten. Holding out her hands she began to draw upon the element of fire. She reached deeper into herself than she ever had before, pulling out every bit of strength she had, turning it into the flames boiling at her hands.

The dragon hissed angrily, retreating from the glowing flames. What should she do? It was Hay Lin inside the metal beast. But the dragon wasn't Hay Lin, it would eat her the moment it got the chance.

Before Taranee could decide, the dragon spoke to her! The voice was oddly strange and familiar, it didn't sound like Hay Lin at all.

"Stop!" shouted the dragon. The fire at Taranee's hands diminished but did not vanish. It wasn't Hay Lin's voice at all, it was…

"Elyon!" cried Taranee, the attack fading away completely from her fingers. Elyon was alive, she was here, making her way past the silver dragon. In a moment more she had closed her arms around Taranee in a hug.

"You're alright!" said Taranee, completely overjoyed. "I can't believe it! What happened? How did you get here? What's up with…" her eyes turned to the dragon that was still watching them.

"She saved me," replied Elyon. "She saved us both."

"Both?" asked Susan. Elyon's eyes moved from Taranee to the people standing behind her and she gasped.

"Miss Vandom!" cried Elyon in surprise.

"Susan is fine dear," replied the blue haired woman. "You said both. Is someone else with you?" Taranee could feel Susan's hope radiating through her telepathy. There was no possible way that Will could be here and even if she was…

"Yeah," said Elyon, her eyes lingering on Shagon before coming back to Taranee. "Hay Lin swooped out of nowhere and caught me. She saved me!

"And I wasn't her only passenger," continued Elyon, "After we landed, I discovered that Serenity had been carried down in Hay Lin's claws," Susan's face fell slightly, "but, I think something is wrong with her. It's like she's asleep or something. I can't wake her up. I tried to go for help, but Hay Lin wouldn't let us leave."

"She was protecting you," whispered Taranee. Her eyes fell on the dragon beast that wasn't snarling at them or ready to attack but floating gently in the air, watching them silently. Taranee looked back to Elyon and saw confusion on her face.

"Outside is a blue sun, and it's sucking the life out of everything," explained Taranee. "We can't go back out there, I don't think Miss Vandom could protect us all."

"Well, we can't go anywhere else," said Elyon with a frown. "The cave dead ends in a room not far back from here, that's where I left Serenity. Come on I'll show you." Waving her hand for the rest to follow Elyon led them deeper into the cave.

The silver dragon raced ahead of them, vanishing into the darkness of the cave. The group walked in single file, with Elyon guiding them through the twists and turns. Taranee held a handful of fire to light the way.

"How could you see anything in here?" asked Taranee. Elyon glanced over her shoulder with a smile.

"My magic isn't completely gone, I was able to make a little light," said Elyon. With a snap of her fingers, white light flickered into existence before going out again.

Ahead the narrow passage opened into a huge circular room. The dragon had picked a resting spot high up near the ceiling, its blue eyes watching their every move. Scattered rocks stuck out of the floor like seats.

Propped up against one of the stones was a young girl with silver hair. She was dressed in black and silver robes. Her face was ghostly white and her eyes were closed.

"See, no way out," said Elyon.

"At least its out of the blue light," said Napoleon. Elyon let out a small cry of surprise as the talking cat leapt lightly from Taranee's shoulder and crossed to Serenity.

"That cat can talk!" cried Elyon, pointing at Napoleon.

"Elyon…" sighed Taranee rubbing her face tiredly. "Of all the things you've seen, you're surprised by a talking cat?"

"Good point," said Elyon with a small laugh. "It just surprised me."

"Well," continued Napoleon pointedly, "if you are done being surprised, perhaps you would like to hear what I have to say." Elyon's cheeks redden slightly but she didn't say anything. Napoleon had moved very close to Serenity and was sniffing her cautiously. "She seems to be in the same state as Lillian."

"Lillian?" cried Elyon. "Cornelia's sister! What do you mean? Did something happen to her?"

"She is here," said Shagon, unfurling his wings so that Elyon could see the unconscious girl in his arms. "She has been like this ever since Cornelia took the Heart of Earth."

"Lillian," whispered Taranee softly. The name had stirred something in her thoughts. Lillian had said something to her, a riddle of sorts… "The door up in the sky is closed." Recanted Taranee, Elyon gave Taranee a quizzical look.

But Taranee continued, trying to remember all the words, "While blue lights touch wilts every rose. The silver serpent is the key." Her eyes turned to the silver haired girl on the floor. "For finding your Serenity."

"Soon the darkness shall attack," continued Napoleon. "The prison cannot hold it back."

"And wandering among the stone…" Taranee's eyes turned to Susan. "You were searching for Will…"

"What?" asked Susan surprised by the question. Her voice was shaken at the mention of Will's name.

"But she is destine for Kandrakar…" repeated Taranee. Will was destine for Kandrakar? Will was dead, she wasn't destine for anywhere… Except… her friend, the one who's name she couldn't speak, had gone after Will, followed her into death. Was Will really bound for Kandrakar or was it… Her eye's turned back to Susan.

"Taranee?" asked Susan again. Taranee was snapped out of her musings. "What do you mean?"

"Lillian said it," answered Taranee. "It was like a prophecy or something… like what the Oracle might have said." Susan frowned.

"We found Hay Lin," continued Taranee, thinking out loud. Her eyes moved to the silver dragon still watching her. "We found Serenity. We found Susan. How do we find Kandrakar?"

"Wait," said Elyon holding up her hands. "Are you saying that Lillian told you to do all this, that she gave you some kind of prophecy, and you're just going to follow it? What makes you so sure we can get to Kandrakar?"

"She's been right so far," Taranee said simply. "I just have to think."

What was left of the rhyme that they hadn't done. They hadn't gotten to Kandrakar, that was obviously the last step. The Void hadn't escaped… no, that was definitely the last step. They had endured the blue light… that only left…

"The door!" cried Taranee.

"We've been over this!" said Napoleon sternly. "The door up in the sky is closed."

"But it's still connected to Kandrakar, we must be able to use it!" cried Taranee. It was so obvious, why couldn't anyone else see it? "We have to go through the door in the sky!"

"How exactly?" asked Shagon, his tone disapproving. Taranee looked at him and he gestured around the room at the strange assortment gathered there.

Two of the occupants were in a death like sleep. One was a cat, while another was a winged man. Susan was the only adult among them. Elyon had lost almost all of her powers. Taranee, herself, couldn't transform. And the last person wasn't a person at all but a dragon, and who knew what it was thinking as it continued to stare at them.

"We didn't all come together by chance," said Taranee. "Each of us has something to add, each of us a task to perform. Hay Lin can fly us to the door. Susan can protect us. Shagon can keep Lillian and Serenity safe. Elyon can hide us from the sight of the blue sun. And Napoleon can lead the way to the door."

"And you?" asked Elyon.

"I'll blast the door off its hinges." Said Taranee.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**SUPER HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who left me a review last chapter!** Lucky OCB, Lexvan, DayDreamer9, Steamrollers Solve All, Darev **and** XV-Dragon**!! You've** **all helped a great deal with your words of encouragement!!!**

**and SUPER thank you to all my readers! I hope you are enjoying the work!**

**We are on the last section of the story. It's a little hard to believe that I'm closing in on the end of this long journey. I started posting the first part of the story in March of 2008 and I started writing it back in 2007, so that's like three years of my life tied up in this. So I hope you've had a good ride!**

**Don't worry, there are still four parts to go from this episode! The next one is only two weeks from now on May 8****th****! At least I'm hoping so. Things have gotten pretty busy for me at work and its not uncommon for me to leave before the sun it up and get home after it sets.**

**I didn't get to spend as much time with this chapter as I would have liked. As a result, the last two scenes slipped into the next part and I didn't get to polish this chapter as much as I would have liked. But, as we say in the world of free stuff… "eh it's good enough"**

**Next chapter should be a fun… now I just have to find the time to write it… **

**Starwin out.**


	14. E4 P2: Clash of the Suns

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Sanctuary

* * *

Part 2: Clash of the Suns

* * *

The waves were frozen. Not turned to ice but as if stopped in time. They would never reach the sandy shore that lay only a short distance away.

Up the beach, across the sand, was the entrance to a dark cave. It loomed over the beach like a mouth trying to swallow it whole. It seemed like anything that entered the cave would never come out again.

The air outside the cave was silent, as if this place were devoid of life. There was no sound of distant traffic, no crash of the waves against the shore, not even the gentle sigh of the wind. A sudden roar erupted from within the depths of the cave, disturbing the stillness. The noise was so powerful that it shifted the sand slightly on the beach.

Like a bullet from a gun, a silver blur burst from the mouth of the cave, racing along the beach, flying just above the sand. It was a long silver dragon, carrying the strangest assortment of passengers on its back.

The dragon sped across the sand before streaking out over the water. The frozen ocean parted slightly before re-freezing, leaving a giant gash along its surface.

The girl sitting closest to the dragon's head, her legs wrapped around its body and her hands grasped firmly to its two long silver horns, turned her golden eyes towards the sky. A giant blue sun turned slowly above them, casting down its icy light. Her name was Taranee, and this was her crazy idea.

Pinned between Taranee's lap, and the back of the dragon's head was a small black cat. Its eyes too were locked on the great blue orb in the sky. Sitting behind Taranee was Elyon. She held tightly to the other girl's waist, her face pressed against Taranee's back.

Behind Elyon was Lillian, eyes half open but unseeing. Holding Lillian in place was Shagon. Behind Shagon was Serenity, pale faced and silent, not asleep but not awake. And keeping Serenity from falling off was Susan, sitting last in the line of riders.

They raced across the surface of the water, their reflections oddly distorted in the uneven sea below. From above, cold blue light cast its power down upon them. Yet they were not bathed in blue, as if the light could not touch them.

Although their speed was great and the dragon undulated through the air, none of the passengers seemed troubled to keep hold. While each held the one in front of them, their grip was not tight, save for Elyon, who clung to Taranee and kept her eyes shut.

Taranee glanced into the sky again, a perilous black sky, with no stars or moon. Instead a great blue ball of fire churned high above. Her golden eyes looked upon its burning surface, cold like liquid ice as though the blue sun were made of a fire-ocean.

Except, at its center, was something she had not expected. Taranee had never looked properly at the ball of fire before now. At its heart, right in the center was a terrible darkness.

The absence of light was not on the surface. It was not in front of the sun. It was at the very center. So powerful was the darkness that it could be seen through the surface of the fire as if it were transparent instead of a massive ball of flames.

Taranee knew the ice sun could see them, just as plainly as she could see it in the sky. She knew it was watching them. Waiting for them to come close so that it could devour them.

But there was no other choice, despite the protests of the others, this was the only way. They could not continue hiding in the cave. They could not stay here. They had to escape.

And the only escape Taranee knew of was high above them. The same way they had come, through a door that had once connected Rakadin and Kandrakar to each other. It was no longer connected to Rakadin, for Rakadin was gone. But it might still be connected to Kandrakar, no, it had to be connected.

Taking a deep breath, as if it might be her last, Taranee pulled on the dragon's horns. They turned sharply upwards, soaring up into the sky. Elyon screamed again as they twisted through the air, flying ever higher into the empty black above.

Even at the steep angle, none of the passengers on the dragon's back slipped even a little. It was as if they were held there by the air around them, as if by magic.

They ascended higher into the dark sky. No clouds or landmarks to guide their way, save for the blue sun. The black cat's head swayed back and forth, its nose in the air as if trying to sniff out their destination.

It was cold up here. Even with Susan's protection, Taranee could feel the chill rolling across her, sapping her strength. If they didn't find the door soon, this would be for nothing.

Taranee's eyes glanced involuntarily at the blue sun. She felt the color drain from her face. The massive sphere had changed. It was no longer simply a roaring ball of fire. Huge spiral arms were reaching out from it, coming towards them.

Except, they weren't arms, or even gigantic solar flares they were… dragons! Dragons that had some vague assemblance of the former Dragon Knights. Their mouths were open, spilling blue fire as they tore through the sky. Their fearsome eyes glowed with blue flames, colder and darker than the rest of their bodies. They twisted around each other in a writhing dance.

There were three of them. Each flame was large enough to easily swallow Taranee, the silver dragon she was riding on and everyone else whole. There was no where to go, no retreat, no escape. No…

A sharp pain tore Taranee's eyes from the terrible sight rushing towards them. She looked down to find that Napoleon had dug his claws into her thigh. She looked at the cat in surprise, then, as it turned its head away, she followed its gaze.

In front of them not more than a few hundred yards away, plainly visible against the black sky, was a huge double door made of wood and stone. It was stuck in the air as though the sky was some bizarre painting and the door was a passage beyond it.

Leaning forward, Taranee mentally begged the silver dragon—Hay Lin—to go faster. With a sudden jolt of speed they shot forward. Taranee slid a little and it became much harder to hold on. It seemed they had sacrificed stability for speed.

'Almost there, almost there!" Taranee thought. She resisted the urge to see how close the flame dragons were now. She knew they would be upon them any moment. There was no other choice. No turning back, no stopping, they had to make it to the door, they had to make it into the Void and to Kandrakar!

Taranee let go of the dragon, her legs holding tight to its sides. She clasped her hands together as if begging for forgiveness and closed her eyes. The fire came quickly. Power and strength welling up inside her with sudden fury.

With a shout of determination, Taranee created a huge ball of red fire. It leapt from her hands and out across the sky, soaring like a small red sun of her own.

In seconds the fireball collided with the wood. The door splintered apart, flying in all directions, leaving only the archway of stone behind. A moment later the dragon raced through the doorway and out the other side.

It was not tied to Kandrakar any longer. It did not lead to the Void, or anywhere else. The connection broken, it was simply an archway of stone and nothing more.

Taranee re-gripped the dragon's horns and turned sharply. They veered away from the flame monsters that pursued them across the sky. They couldn't escape. They just weren't fast enough.

They began to dive, racing towards the ocean below. It was all Taranee could do to hold on. The magic that had been keeping them from sliding off seemed to have failed almost completely.

The dragon pulled up hard, making a wide bank across the sky. One of the blue flaming heads raced by, narrowly missing them by only a hundred feet. However, this distance was not enough and Taranee felt terrible pain across her left side.

The monster, although made of fire, had not brought heat. A white flash of ice had covered the left side of Taranee's clothing as if half of her had been suddenly frozen. She felt a chunk of her life force slip away with her warmth.

They couldn't beat this, they couldn't escape this! It had been foolish to even try!

Two of the heads were still following them, weaving around one another, mouths gaping open, eyes fixed on their prey.

'It's me they want,' thought Taranee. She could see it in their glowing eyes as they followed her across the sky. Taranee turned Hay Lin downwards and they began to race towards the ground, falling now more then flying.

It was hard to hold on. Taranee felt herself becoming weightless, felt her hands sliding along the dragon's iced over horns.

Then, with a cry, Taranee felt the metal scales of the dragon slide out from under her. She was truly falling now, attached to nothing. She didn't know where the others had gone, she couldn't see if they too had slid from the dragon or had remained safely upon its back. Taranee hoped they were safe.

But there was little time to contemplate. No sooner had Taranee been thrown free than all three flame-dragons converged on her. She could feel their icy life stealing cold enveloping her completely. Taranee closed her eyes, not wanting to witness her own end, even if she couldn't block out the cold.

With a crash like thunder that shook the ground far below the three dragon-flames slammed into her, their mouths open wide as if to eat her. Pain surged through her, terrible pain that tore at flesh. She felt the cold bite into her like teeth. It felt like her soul was being ripped out of her body.

She would not go quietly, not blink out without a fight. Summoning all her remaining strength Taranee ignited her powers of fire. Bright flames of red and gold completely enveloped her body. Except, it wasn't just her fire that came to her. The blue flames began to pour into her. The energy of the blue sun filling the Heart around her neck.

There was a scream, unlike any man or beast, that shook the air. It had come from the dark center of the blue sun. Taranee didn't feel cold any more. She felt warm, hot, even. The blue energy was flowing into her.

The flame dragons that connected her to the blue sun were suddenly cut off and Taranee absorbed them completely or rather the Heart of Kandrakar did.

The Heart around her neck flared with a powerful energy and Taranee felt herself transforming. Magic pulsed through her body, making her stronger, faster, more powerful.

The red flames that burned around her glowed brighter. She was burning like a red star, her energy radiating out in every direction, pushing back the blue light, fighting for dominance of the sky.

The blue sun tried to push back. Taranee felt its cold trying to flow into her. She increased her flames. The ball of fire around Taranee doubled in size casting its red glow down upon the city below and out across the sky.

Again the blue sun tried to win out, but Taranee felt her magic flowing easily to her and she pushed harder. This time, she was sure of it, the blue sun had moved away slightly, like she had pushed it.

Taranee increased her efforts, willing her magic to become even stronger, her flames to glow hotter. There was no doubt, the blue sun was moving away, pressed back by the fiery red light.

The powers of the element of fire roaring inside her, Taranee chased after the blue sun, a raging ball of fire tumbling around her. Although Taranee could not rightly see it, she imagined her own blazing form must be huge, at least the size of the blue sun that was now retreating across the sky.

For a few minutes Taranee chased the blue sun. It was obviously afraid of her. She felt, she knew, that this was her one chance to stop it. But the blue sun was faster, quicker. It raced far ahead.

Or at least that was what Taranee had thought. She didn't realize, until it was too late, that the blue sun was not getting further away. It was dwindling away, shrinking into the point of darkness at its center.

The icy ball of blue fire shrunk smaller and smaller. Taranee increased her speed. She couldn't let it fade completely for when it did, the unnatural black shape would be invisible against the sky.

But try as she might, Taranee could not catch it. In a moment more, the blue light was gone and the shadow shape darted away into the empty sky.

Taranee floated there, suspended in a great sphere of flames, looking down at Heatherfield below. It was only then that she remembered everyone else.

Her eyes swept across the ground still very far below. It looked very odd from this height. The town was bathed in warm red light that made Taranee think vaguely of sunsets.

She couldn't see anyone far below, not surprising as from this height even the cars looked like indistinct blobs. How she had thought the blue sun could ever have seen her from this height she did not know, yet…

Taranee turned her head, golden eyes searching the darkness for any sign of the shadow shape. She still felt like it was watching her. But there was no sign of it and surely the thing could not get close to her while the great tumult of fire burned around her like a star.

Although she couldn't stay up here forever, or, as her tired body suddenly realized, for very much longer. Expertly, Taranee commanded the fire sphere around her to carry her down towards the ground, back to Shell Cave. If her friends were anywhere, they would be there.

* * *

Elyon watched the sky from the mouth of Shell Cave. Her hand rested on the silver dragon, which still carried the unconscious Serenity. The black cat Napoleon was perched on the dragons head, watching the sky with unblinking green eyes.

Behind Elyon, Susan stood transfixed by the battle above their heads as red and blue clashed against each other. And behind Susan, indifferent to all but the sleeping girl in his arms, was Shagon.

There had been a terrible moment of panic in Elyon when Taranee had slid out of her hold. Elyon had managed to stay on the dragons back but could not get Hay Lin to turn around and go after Taranee. Instead, the dragon had raced away as fast as possible, returning them to Shell Cave and safety.

No sooner had they landed then red light had washed down on them from above. The light had grown very strong and the blue sun appeared to be withering away under its touch.

Then, before Elyon could truly understand what was going on, the blue sun vanished completely, leaving only the red orb of fire burning in the sky, casting down its warmth.

Except, the ball of red fire didn't stay in the sky. It was speeding down towards the beach like a falling star! With an explosion, it slammed into the edge of the beach, twenty feet from the shore.

A shockwave rolled through the sand. Water sprayed out in huge waves from the impact. And the sky was suddenly dark. The only light, although it was very bright light, now came from the place where the red sun had smashed into the ocean.

Yet, there was no crater, no smoke or flames or debris, nothing to indicate a crash of a giant sun at all. Except, the water remained parted as if held back by an invisible wall. A person, made of red fire, walked slowly towards them.

It took Elyon only a moment to realize that it was Taranee. She was taller than normal, older too. She had obviously transformed, except she wasn't wearing the normal guardian clothing. In fact, for all Elyon could tell, Taranee wasn't wearing anything at all!

Flames wrapped around her body in place of clothing, tendrils of fire whipping off her here and there. The only part of her not crawling with flames was her face, which had a smile upon it.

Taranee stopped several paces away from the cave, the flames rolling down her body. She was the only source of light in complete blackness. Her smile faltered slightly as she saw the looks on everyone's faces.

"What?" asked Taranee, holding her arms in a shrug of confusion.

"You're… on fire…" said Elyon, hardly able to get the words out. Taranee looked at her arms with mild curiosity. Red and gold flames danced along her skin so that she looked as if she were made from fire, rather than just covered in it.

"I guess so," said Taranee, in a voice much too calm for someone who was a blaze with fire. "I'm not really sure how to turn it off though."

"What happened to you?" asked Susan, her voice making Elyon jump, the blond haired girl had forgotten the older woman was behind her.

"I don't really know," replied Taranee with a shrug. "Those blue-fire-dragon-things all smashed into me, and it felt like they were going to freeze me from the inside out. Then, I don't know, the Heart kind of reacted and started sucking them in. It's like it's been supercharged or something."

"Or," said Susan in a thoughtful voice. "Like you took back some of the energy the Void has stolen from our universe." Both Elyon and Taranee stared at Susan. But Taranee's stare was one of suspicion. There hadn't been time for questions or answers before but now Taranee found she needed them.

"I think you owe us an explanation," said Taranee calmly. "Why do you have the power to resist the blue sun? And how do you know about Kandrakar and the Void?" Susan smiled, but it was a strained smile.

"We should move inside," said Susan her eyes glancing across the starless sky. "I do not think it is safe to linger out here." Again, Taranee had the unsettling feeling like something in the darkness was watching her, and she suddenly didn't want to be outside the cave either. With a nod Taranee moved closer to them.

Elyon reflexively took a step away, expecting the heat from Taranee's fire clothing to be blazing hot. But it wasn't at all. In fact, it was warm, like a soft blanket and Elyon had to resist the very strong urge to hug her friend. It might not be hot like fire, but she certainly didn't feel like pressing her luck by wrapping her arms around it.

The group descended back into the depths of the cave, with the silver dragon leading the way and Shagon bringing up the rear. Taranee walked right behind Susan so that she could hear the woman's words as she spoke.

"I am not from Earth," announced Susan. "Nor is Will." Taranee felt the unpleasant urge to correct Susan, 'nor was Will.' Taranee thought grimly. "We came from Kandrakar, a long time ago."

"What!" cried Taranee in surprise. "So you know the Oracle and the other Elders?" Susan smiled, half turning her head to look at Taranee before continuing.

"Yes," said Susan. "But I gave it all up when I brought Will to Earth, when we left Kandrakar behind. The Oracle was not the man I had fallen… was not the person I once knew. He had become cold and distant, seeing only the greater good over everything else.

"I retain a little of my magic, although most of it is gone, but enough to protect myself, and others when the need arises," continued Susan. "I have learned to live without it and I had hoped to make a normal life for me and Will. But I'm not sure how it could ever have been normal." And Susan frowned at these words.

"Why not?" asked Elyon. "Is it because Will became a guardian?"

"No," said Susan with a shake of her head. "Its because of Serenity."

"What Serenity did to her?" interjected Taranee. "Because, she was being controlled by the Void, I'm sure of it! Just like Cornelia." Again Susan shook her head and there was something of an uneasy laugh in her voice when she spoke again, a laugh as if life had played a terrible joke upon her.

"No," repeated Susan again. "Will is an incomplete person, half a person. A long time ago, when the Earth was new and the stars were young, there was a terrible war in Kandrakar. In the end, the only way to stop it was to divide it completely. Rakadin was born and shoved beyond the edges of the universe.

"But when Rakadin was born, so were its people, each a shadow of a person who lived in Kandrakar. All of the undesirable parts and pieces of what we were, cast aside. Serenity is Will's shadow."

"I don't understand," said Taranee her eyes falling on Serenity, who looked nothing like Will at all. "You're saying that Serenity and Will are part of each other?" Susan nodded.

"Body and Soul," answered Susan. "Serenity is Will's body. Will is Serenity's Soul. Both are incomplete without the other."

"I'm sorry," interrupted Taranee her voice disbelieving. "I'm pretty sure Will has a body."

"Will has a physical form, not a body," replied Susan. "From a perspective such as yours it might be hard to imagine but everything has two parts, body and soul."

"You mean everyone," corrected Elyon.

"No," replied Susan. "The planet," she ran her hand along the cave walls. "Is an empty body, its soul stolen away. The universe has a body vast, infinite, containing all things and it has a Soul, in death." Taranee's brow furled at these words.

"You are complete, body and soul, Taranee Cook," said Susan catching Taranee by surprise. "You will age, love, experience and remember as you pass through life. Will cannot. She'll be young forever, memories fading away with time, her life nothing more than a distant dream.

"Serenity would be old and gone by now, had she not been sealed in a spell," continued Susan her eyes falling on the sleeping girl with silver hair. "Even still she has aged. But her life too would be incomplete without a soul… It was what she wanted more than anything else.

"The Void," explained Susan, and now her tone had a slight shake to it, "wishes to unmake us, to turn us into nothing. It is not evil that drives it, but purpose, the purpose not to exist. A purpose which we strongly contradict."

Silence fell upon them as both Elyon and Taranee considered Susan's words, neither girl truly understanding her meaning. How could the Void not be evil if it wanted to destroy everything? How could its purpose be to not exist?

"What do we do now?" asked Elyon breaking in on Taranee's thoughts. They had almost reached the back most chamber of Shell Cave, where they would be able to go no further.

The door in the sky had been the only way Taranee could think of to escape. But it had been completely cut off from everything, just like the rest of the planet.

Taranee didn't know what they should do now. She ran over the words Lillian had spoken in prophecy, but found she couldn't really remember them all anymore, like they had slipped away.

The only part still fresh in her mind talked about the Void escaping from the prison and she didn't want to think about that. In truth, Taranee hoped that Susan would have an answer or an idea, but she said nothing more.

"I don't…" Taranee started to say but then suddenly stopped. They had reached the end of the cave where the tunnel became a large round chamber. But the room wasn't empty, there was someone waiting for them. Someone whose name they couldn't speak.

**

* * *

Authors notes:**

**First and foremost… THANK YOU EVERYONE who left me a review for last chapter!** DayDreamer9, Lucky OCB, Lexvan, fuzzyelbow, XV-Dragon, Darev **and** dad-d-dough. ** Thank you for taking the time to write to me and share your thoughts, I know I have said it before, but its worth saying again. Your words help to make me a better writer and bring some light into the darkness surrounding me…**

**And readers, THANK YOU TOO! I'm glad you keep coming back for more, I hope you've found the story enjoyable or at least too gripping to turn away from!**

**This was a tough chapter, I've hardly had any time at all to write over the last two months. It seems like all I ever do is work and its burning me out pretty bad. I was honestly surprised I made it to the end here… although, technically, we are still missing two scenes from this chapter that, like so many other parts, have no slipped into the next chapter.**

**All in all that's not a bad thing. While the original plan was to have things happen much sooner it seems to work better this way. It helped me cut out a lot of what might have been filler and just present you all with story.**

**Hopefully, I can get what needs to be done next chapter done this time, as there is no more room for slippage at this point, just cutting. Deleted scenes anyone?**

**Anyhow…**

**Starwin Out.**


	15. E4 P3: The New Oracle

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Sanctuary

* * *

Part 3: The New Oracle

* * *

It was all Taranee could do not to run to her friend and embrace her. The girl who had lost her name was here, right in front of them, just standing there as if she had always been. It was almost too good to be true.

'It _is_ too good to be true,' thought Taranee as her moment of shock began to fade. Taranee's golden eyes looked more closely. She looked for something, anything, out of place. And the more she looked, the more she realized it was all out of place.

The brown-haired girl's body was too stiff. She hadn't said a word, very unlike the person Taranee knew, who would have made at least one joke by now. But the thing that bothered Taranee the most was the nameless girl's eyes. They were distant and dream like, seeing the world without knowing it.

Elyon made to move forward, but Taranee—and to Taranee's surprise, Susan too—barred the way.

"Who are you," demanded Susan her brown eyes, so much like Will's, fixed on the water guardian. The girl without a name did not answer, she did not even look in Susan's direction. It was almost as if she hadn't even heard her.

"How did you get here?" asked Taranee.

The nameless girl's head turned towards her at these words. Her mouth opened as if she were about to speak and answer. But she closed it, without a sound. Then she pointed at, what seemed to be Taranee.

"Me?" asked Taranee confused, but the nameless girl shook her head and pointed again. Taranee looked at Elyon, who was standing next to her. "Her?" Taranee suggested, indicating Elyon. Again the girl shook her head, pointing vigorously at something past Taranee.

Taranee turned and found another shock behind her. Shagon was no longer carrying Lillian Hail. The young girl who had once held the Heart of Earth was standing all on her own. Her bright blue eyes were open and she was looking curiously at all the people around her.

"Hi," she said rather shyly a small smile on her face.

"You're awake!" cried Taranee, "You're alright!"

"I wouldn't say alright," Lillian replied. Her face was still pale and there were dark circles under her eyes. "We have to leave this place." said Lillian after a moment. "There are bad things on Earth."

"We're trying," said Taranee. "But so far we haven't had much luck. You don't happen to know how we could leave, do you?" Lillian nodded with a smile. There seemed to be a sigh of relief from everyone, as if they had been holding their breath. "How?" Taranee asked, hoping the answer was not the door in the sky.

"Her," replied Lillian pointing back at the girl with no name.

Taranee looked back to her nameless friend. The brown-haired girl held up her hand, palm up, and made a sort of waving motion towards herself as if gesturing for them all to move closer. They did not.

"We need to follow her," explained Lillian. But still they did not move closer. "That's why my sister made me come back." These words caused Taranee's brow to furl in confusion. Her sister had sent her back? Back from where? And Cornelia?

However, Taranee had a more pressing concern. Lillian had said they needed to follow the girl without a name? But where could she lead them to? There was nowhere to go. This circular room at the back of Shell Cave was a dead end. The only exit was the way they had come.

And outside, back above ground, there was nothing but an empty world wrapped in never ending night… and the Void. Taranee shivered slightly at the thought of what might be lurking behind them. Then she let out a gasp of surprise, for she had seen something beyond the girl with no name. Something impossible, something that had not been before and could not be now.

The far wall of the cave was no longer a wall at all. Another exit had been roughly cut into the back of the room, allowing the cave to extend deeper into the Earth. Taranee was sure that this room had been a dead end. No, she was positive that there had been no other passageway the last time they had been here.

It was not a figment of her imagination either, for the nameless girl passed through the small opening easily. Once through, she paused, turned and looked at the group expectantly. None of them had taken even a single step.

"Should we go with her?" asked Elyon quietly, her voice hardly above a whisper.

"I don't feel any danger from her," replied Susan, "but still, there is something. Something, that is not the presence of your friend."

"We must," said Lillian. "It is the only way."

Taranee took a deep breath, her body still wrapped in warm flames, filling the cave with light. Wherever this thing that had the shape of her friend would take them, how much worse off could they be? Taranee made her decision. Wordlessly she stepped forward. The others hesitated slightly before doing the same.

The moment the girl who had lost her name saw them approaching, she turned away and continued to lead the way. She walked at a steady, if somewhat slow, pace down the narrow passage.

This new cave was far smaller than any other part of Shell Cave. Susan could not walk without bending over and Shagon had to fold his wings down like a cloak. In places the walls came so close together that Taranee had to hold her breath to squeeze through. But, despite the shrinking space, everyone seemed to be able to keep up without difficulty.

Taranee also notice that the ground sloped downwards, unlike the rest of the cave. Normally, caves formed by oceans sloped upwards as they went, else they would be flooded by water. But this cave went steadily downwards.

The floor was not slippery either. The cut in the rocks looked more like they had been forcibly torn apart, rather than worn away. Taranee doubted if this part of the cave had ever felt the touch of water, or anything else for that matter.

The deeper they went, the more Taranee could feel the weight of the Earth pressing in upon her. She couldn't explain it, but she felt the pressure of the ground above her as if it made the air heavy. Their footsteps also sounded muffled and echoless in the small space.

Flames continued to play across Taranee's skin, casting light in both directions. Yet, while she could see perfectly fine behind her—up until the passageway bent left or right—she could hardly see anything in front of her at all. It was as if the tunnel ended only a hundred feet ahead of them or, like the tunnel was being made as they walked.

It was hard to say how long they had been walking. None of them had the energy for conversation. And in any case, the girl without a name was not talkative, very unlike her normal self. She trudged onwards in a repetitive walk, leading them ever deeper into the folds of the Earth.

If Taranee had been wearing a watch she would have looked at it constantly. Although, it most likely would have burned off by now. And how exactly did you tell time on a world with no sky and no sun? And where exactly had the sun gone anyhow?

Until now, Taranee really hadn't had a moment to even consider what had happened to the sky. There had been so many other strange things going on—like the blue sun and the stone people—that a missing universe above her head had seemed like a small thing to worry about.

However, now that she was not running for her life or doing battle with a great ball of icy fire, Taranee considered just how strange her predicament was. She had, up until that point, simply assume that the sky was hidden by veiling magic.

After all, a veil had hidden all of Metamoor for many years, long before the Guardians came along. A veil could easily hide an entire planet preventing magical travel, among other things. Although, she remembered Metamoor having a sky. And she didn't think a veil had the power to block out the sky or to hide the sun.

Taranee was forced to turn profile to squeeze between two large outcrops of stone. As she did so her eyes traveled back across the party following her. She really had found a very odd assortment of people.

Elyon she could understand, she had come to Earth with Elyon in tow. Finding her along the way seemed natural. Hay Lin was not unexpected either, although, Taranee had to admit she was surprise that Hay Lin was helping. She had been sealed inside a metal dragon and turned against her friends.

It was unlikely that she was working for Cornelia… for the Void… to bring them down from the inside. Hay Lin had helped them. She could have struck at any moment, or thrown them all from her back when they'd tried to foolishly escape through the door in the sky.

As Taranee watched the dragon she noticed that Hay Lin wasn't flying as smoothly. Her scales that had always shown bright silver seemed dull white next to Serenity's silver hair.

Serenity, there was someone Taranee thought she would never see again. Taranee wasn't sure what to make of her. The silver haired girl had been a terrible enemy once. However, for the moment, she did not seem to be of any concern. Serenity was currently trapped in a death like sleep and was little more than baggage for them to haul along.

She had no idea what to make of Susan. She had appeared, quite literally, out of the blue. She Possessed magic of her own and seemed to know a great deal more than Taranee thought she possibly could, or should.

And then there was Matt, who had transformed into a half-man, half-bird thing. He was calling himself Shagon now. And lastly, there was Lillian, who had lost the Heart of Earth to her sister... to the Void, Taranee reminded herself again.

Like Serenity, Lillian had been completely unresponsive, save the one time where she had recounted them a prophecy. Now she was awake again, and there were so many questions Taranee wanted to ask her, but right now she couldn't think of any.

Taranee finished squeezing through the narrow stone and Lillian's words fluttered through her head. It was part of the prophecy spoken for her. But she had forgotten much of it as if it had slipped away from her after it had come true.

There had been a part about a door in the sky, which she hadn't heeded. And then something else about Hay Lin, whom she had found. And still another part about Susan, which Taranee hadn't realized had been about Susan at the time. And finally, Kandrakar, the part that was most important to her now.

Yet there was something else she was forgetting, something she knew she had to remember. She was about to ask Lillian is she could remember speaking the words, or if she knew what they meant but the girl with no name came to a sudden stop.

Taranee collided with her, losing her train of thought and only just keeping her balance. She hadn't noticed that they had entered into a deep chamber and were free of the narrow passage. How far under the Earth they were, Taranee had no idea.

This cave however was not simply lined with stone, it was filled with great white crystals as tall as Taranee, bigger even. They sprouted up from the floor and hung from the ceiling. In Taranee's fire light, they seemed to glow, as if they had tiny flames inside them.

Taranee suddenly had an uneasy feeling that she couldn't place. It was a cold feeling coming from behind her, a feeling that she had felt before, back when she was outside, like something was watching her. But of course there were several people standing behind her watching her.

"So what now," asked Elyon as she examined the crystal cave. There was no exit from this room, except the way they had come. It was just another dead end. Taranee shrugged.

But the girl with no name seemed to have an answer for them. She did not speak words, but instead lifted both her arms above her head, as if to indicate the ceiling above. At the same time, all of the crystals pulsed, this time with their own light. The crystals pulsed again, and again, coming faster each time.

The ground shivered beneath their feet. Taranee could suddenly feel tremendous magical energy around them and… below them! Quickly she looked down, fear spreading across her face as she saw her feet beginning to sink into the ground. For the ground here was not solid stone, it was sand, and they were slowly being pulled under by it!

Struggling with her feet Taranee tried to get free, but she was stuck, being sucked downwards into the sand. It was starting to whirlpool now, spreading out from around the girl with no name who stood at its center, her head still turned up to the ceiling.

"We're sinking!" shouted Taranee. The others had not been paying attention. Panic quickly spread across them. Even Hay Lin, who had flown all the way down had landed on the spinning sand and was caught in its grip.

Taranee looked at the nameless girl, she remained above the sand, hands still held high, expression impossible to read. And Taranee knew that somehow she was doing this. If they were to survive, Taranee had to stop her friend. Her hands, already clad in fire began to seethe with hotter flames, ready to attack!

A terrible thought suddenly flickered across Taranee's mind. Attack… Yet it was Lillian who recited it over the roar of the churning sand.

"Soon the darkness shall attack, the prison cannot hold it back," recanted Lillian, her eyes meeting with Taranee's. That was the second half of the prophecy. Taranee finally realized what it meant!

The Earth had been made into a prison for the darkness, for the Void. The door in the sky had been cut off because it was an escape. And the blue sun, it had been the Void, trying to find another means to get free of its prison.

Taranee's eyes swept the room, squinting against the flashing crystals that were now like strobe lights, throwing everything into jerking stop motion.

With another pull Taranee sunk past her waist. Taranee tried to shout to her nameless friend to stop. But she either couldn't hear, or wouldn't listen. The sand was up to Taranee's neck now. Then Taranee was pulled under, into crushing darkness.

* * *

At the far corner of the room, watching the scene of sinking people with complete impassiveness was a cat. It waited motionless and still, hidden against the flashing light. The cat had been noticeably absent all the way down, keeping to the shadows, keeping silent.

It had not wanted to draw attention to itself, for, its companions would have noticed that it was different, that something was not right about the cat. The cat's fur was no longer black and shiny. It had turned silver and its green eyes, a terrible reflectionless black.

Then the cat dove into the sand without hesitation, vanishing instantly with thoughts of freedom and destruction filling its head.

* * *

Taranee tumbled down, swallowed in the sand. Her eyes were shut tight and the breath held in her lungs. She could feel the sand pressing against her body, squeezing her. She didn't know how far down this sand trap went, but she knew there was no hope of swimming out of it, you couldn't swim in sand.

Then the sensation changed. It didn't feel like sand pressing down on her anymore, Taranee thought. Her skin felt numb and tingly. There was still something holding her in place. Everything was quiet but she had the odd feeling that she was still sinking into the sand, or at least still moving.

She couldn't hold her breath forever either. Already her lungs were starting to burn for oxygen. Unable to fight the reflex, Taranee gasped and was surprised to find air, and not sand, filling her lungs. The air tasted strange, not right somehow.

After a moment's hesitation, Taranee risked opening an eye. Just as fast as she had peeked she closed it again. What she had seen was impossible. Again, Taranee tried glancing out, opening her eye lid only a sliver of a sliver.

Beneath her, stars, or at least things that looked like stars rushed past her. Briefly, Taranee wondered if she might be dead. But she didn't feel dead. She did feel strange—fuzzy, like she was made of many thousands of pieces.

Then with a crash that made Taranee feel very solid again, her feet slammed onto hard stone. She had not been expecting this at all, and she collapsed to the ground.

She lay unmoving for a moment, eyes closed once more, afraid of what she would find. When no one spoke, Taranee took a calming breath and opened her eyes. She was momentarily blinded by the brightness around her, but as her eyes adjusted she was astounded by what she saw.

White marble stone lined every inch of the large room where she lay. The stone glowed with warm light as if it were made of pieces of the sun. They were in Kandrakar! Somehow, they had come to Kandrakar!

Taranee sat up and it was then that she saw the bodies. Elyon, Susan, Lillian, Shagon, Serenity and Hay Lin, sealed within her dragon body, were all spread out across the floor. They lay still and motionless.

Even before she knew she was doing it, Taranee commanded her fire-sight to spring to life in her eyes. Six forms glowed before her, each with a different color of light, each announcing that they were alive through the fires of life that burned within them.

Taranee let out a sigh of relief, letting her eyelids close in a moment of thankfulness. But then they snapped open just as quick, and Taranee turned her gaze behind her. They were arrange exactly as they had been standing in the crystal cave on Earth, which meant that behind her was…

Turning her head, Taranee's golden eyes, alight with fire-sight, found the outline flames of the girl without a name. Instantly Taranee had to shield her gaze, though it did little good.

Her friend was still standing and she was made of intense white flames, brighter than anything she had ever seen before. Except, they weren't white, they just looked that way due to the brightness. Taranee realized that the flames were green, a shade of green that reminded her of…

The light suddenly extinguished and the nameless girl collapsed to the floor. Taranee tried to call her name, but nothing came out of her mouth. Scrambling across the floor, Taranee finally made it to her friend's side, terrified that her life had suddenly been snuffed out.

But, although the girl with no name's body had at first appeared empty, Taranee could still see the tiniest spark of aqua colored life in her, glowing strongly in her heart. She closed her eyes and let the fire-sight fade away.

Taranee felt the sudden presence of another person beside her. She turned to look and nearly jumped out of her skin. Hay Lin, Hay Lin was standing next to her! Not silver, not a dragon, but a normal girl. Or at least, she had the shape of a normal girl.

For there was something not quite right with the way Hay Lin looked. Her outline was fuzzy somehow. Her body was odd as if not completely real. But Taranee couldn't place what was wrong.

Hay Lin knelt down next to the girl with no name. Even if her shape was just an illusion it still looked very real. There were even tears crawling down her face. Her lips moved in a soundless rhythm, trying to speak words that would not come to her.

"She'll be alright," croaked Taranee, her voice knotted in her throat. Hay Lin looked up at Taranee, a sad smile on her face.

"No," said Hay Lin, her words had an odd echoy quality to them. She looked down at the brown haired girl lying before her. "Irma is in terrible danger. She has no idea what she's gotten herself into."

Surprise strained Taranee's face. She had heard it. She could think it. There had not simply been a face or a feeling, but a name. Her eyes scanned the girl laying before her. No, not the girl laying before her, Irma. She could think it again. She thought it once more, just to be sure the name was still there, then she said it.

"Irma," whispered Taranee. Hay Lin looked up at Taranee and it seemed to take great strength for her to look away from Irma. "I can say her name again." She looked at Hay Lin her flickering image even more noticeable now. Hay Lin had said it first, she had brought it back.

"Did you do this?" Taranee demanded of her friend, who was watching her impassively. Hay Lin nodded, but didn't speak. "How?" Taranee pressed.

"Air would not let her go," explained Hay Lin her voice still soft and echoing. Taranee suddenly realized that she wasn't hearing Hay Lin's words with her ears or seeing her with her eyes. Hay Lin was in her mind.

With a hesitant glance Taranee looked back over her shoulder at the silver dragon that lay unmoving on the floor. She had seen the signs before but had ignored them. The scales were pale white and the beasts breathing was labored.

"I set her free, because she set me free," continued Hay Lin, her mouth moving soundlessly with the words that echoed in Taranee's thoughts. Taranee's attention returned to Hay Lin.

There was a sad smile on Hay Lin lips. Her eyes turned back down to Irma's unconscious form. Hay Lin's mouth moved again, but Taranee heard nothing, she knew these words were not meant for her. Then she faded away completely. The dragon let out a long sigh and was still.

* * *

Taranee did not know how long she sat there, her mind completely devoid of any thoughts of her own. She was unable to process anything anymore.

She did not notice when the elders of Kandrakar had come to their aid. She did not answer when they spoke to her. She knew she should be crying. She should be curled up on the floor shaking uncontrollably. But she just sat next to Irma, not even really seeing her anymore.

Some of the elders helped lift Irma to take her back to the room where Will lay. Taranee did not protest, in fact, she did not speak at all. Hay Lin's words still filled her head, still echoed long after she had gone.

Taranee did not notice as Shagon and Lillian were led away. Nor did she care that Serenity was also taken away by elders. They did not actually carry Serenity but levitated her with magic.

Elyon came to stand by Taranee, unsure if she could touch her. Flames still wrapped her body and their seemed to be no section Elyon could reach to give her friend comfort. A hug seemed to be completely out of the question, but despite what her senses were telling her, Elyon did it anyway.

The flames were warm against her face. It did not feel like she was burning nor did she appear to have caught on fire even though her arms were engulfed in Taranee's burning clothing.

They stayed like that for a long while, neither really able to speak. Taranee wasn't really even aware that someone was holding her, though she was subconsciously grateful.

Taranee felt tired. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept. Her body was filled with incredible power, stolen from the blue sun, but she felt completely sapped of all her strength.

They had made it to Kandrakar, but even here they weren't safe. How long would it be before death and destruction came for them once again? There was no more Oracle, no more Guardians, no more Hay Lin…

Earth was sealed away and it was only a matter of time before the Void would get free and come for them. There didn't seem to be time for rest or sleep.

And Hay Lin had said that Irma was in terrible danger. But what could Taranee do about it. She didn't even have the power to help her friends when they were right in front of her!

"Taranee," the voice seemed to come from a long ways off. Dully she searched for the speaker, it was Susan, standing only a few feet away in front of her. "I need to speak with the council. I want you to get some sleep." Taranee did not respond, but Susan seemed to take this as acceptance. "An elder will show you to your room. I will send for you when we have discussed all that needs to be spoken." Then Susan left them too.

It was several more minutes—or maybe it was hours, Taranee couldn't tell—that she at last stood and followed the white robed elder through the marble halls, Elyon holding her hand all the way. They walked a maze of twisting hallways through Kandrakar.

"Are you alright?" asked Elyon. Taranee blinked and felt as if she had been snapped out of some kind of trance.

"No," said Taranee, not really even hearing her own words. "I don't think I am."

* * *

Despite what most people assumed, the Oracle had not been the ruler of Kandrakar. He was not even really its leader, although many looked to him for guidance.

The Oracle was a position, held buy one member of the council. It was a person to whom all the powers of Kandrakar were entrusted. And while the same person had been Oracle for as long as anyone there could remember, it did not have to stay that way, nor could it.

The Oracle was gone, beyond even death. The Void had unmade him, leaving Kandrakar without its greatest advisor and asset. Something had to be done, for Kandrakar could not be without an Oracle.

Susan stood before the council of Kandrakar. It had been many, many years since she had stood here. A Life time ago, several life times ago. She had been a different person then with different ideas and beliefs. She had left Kandrakar filled with anger. But she had returned bearing hope.

She had told the council what she had seen on Earth. She told them how the sky had been taken away, how the Void had been trapped and imprisoned. They asked and she answered. Until at last the questions halted and silence fell on the council of elders.

"You have given us much to consider," said the oldest of the elders. "You say the Void is upon our universe, but that it is trapped on Earth." Susan nodded slightly but did not speak. "No prison can hold such a thing for long. No bonds can keep it contained."

"It has the power of every Heart in the universe," added another elder. "Save for our own, the Heart of Kandrakar. We cannot let it take the final Heart." Murmurs of agreement rose from the council at these words.

"For the moment the Heart is safe," chimed in a third elder. "Kandrakar is well protected and the Void will not easily be able to escape its shackles. Even if it does come, our magic is strong and we can resist it."

"But we cannot prepare a defense if we do not know when to prepare it," interrupted the oldest elder. "A new Oracle must be chosen, so that we may once again glimpse the future." An uneasy chatter broke out among the council members, but the elder raised her hand and the council fell silent.

"It must be done," explained the oldest elder. "I believe fate has brought us our Oracle." Her eyes fell upon Susan. Slowly, all of the eyes of the council turned to the woman who stood at the center of the chamber, now suddenly aware that every person was focused on her.

"If that is what you ask of me," replied Susan, sounding much more confident than she felt. "I will be your Oracle."

**

* * *

Authors notes:**

**THANK YOU REVIEWERS! **DayDreamer9, Lexvan, Lucky OCB, Darev, XV-Dragon **and **Joe Habana**!**

**Thank you readers!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it has a lot of parts, pieces, things and stuffs. If you didn't get all of it, feel free to read it again… and again… and again. **

**Wow, I actually finished this chapter on time. I totally didn't think I would. And I actually got everything in that needed to get in (and more than in some cases)! Craziness! I know! Nothing got pushed back, nothing got dropped! It's pretty strange let me tell you.**

**I still feel the first part of the chapter really belongs in the previous chapter. It only got placed here due to some time constraints last, last, last, week. But it's still ok here, even if it is a little much. Just not optimal.**

**We really are closing in on the end here! Only two more chapters left! That's almost crazier than having finished this chapter on time! And I can finally use Irma's name again. All of next chapter will just be her name over and over again :D (not really).**

**Starwin Out.**


	16. E4 P4: Inside Sanctuary

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Sanctuary

* * *

Part 4: Inside Sanctuary

* * *

Deep in Death, at the border of fire and earth, sat Cornelia. Her golden blond hair shimmered in the light of a sunset that had no sun. But Cornelia did not see the dwindling light or even the strange world upon which she sat. Her eyes were closed and she looked as if she might be asleep, though she was not.

Wrapped around her were thick green vines. The plants encircled her body, twisting and curling around her form. But she did not notice them either, nor could she feel them. She was there and yet absent.

After what might have been an eternity, or no time at all, the girl shivered and her eyes opened slowly. She took a gasping breath as if surfacing from deep under water. She had not taken one for several hours, yet, this seemed to be of little consequence for her. After all, she was in Death, what did breathing matter here?

Her eyes slightly unfocused Cornelia examined her surroundings. She was exactly where she had been, not even moving an inch, which was not unexpected. Everything around her was the same. The edge of the nearby forest, pressed up against the field of soft grass. The boiling river of lava at her back, only a few paces away. And the massive green snake beast, that called itself Earth, watching her with large brown eyes.

The girl made to stand and the plant vines retracted, pulling away into the ground until it was as if they had never been. A massive green snake named Earth waited for the girl to speak.

"I found them," announced Cornelia. "On Earth, just like you promised. And I took them to Kandrakar, just like you asked." The great snake did not move, but the girl had the impression that it was satisfied with her answer.

"But my body felt strange," continued the golden haired girl. "I couldn't tell them anything while I was there. Everything was weird somehow. It felt like I was underwater."

"It was not your body, Cornelia Hale," replied the great snake. It was Earth, the element. Not a spirit or an avatar or an elemental of, but really and truly the element of Earth. "It was your friend's body which you inhabited."

"What…" asked Cornelia her face too shocked to look surprised. "I was… inside someone else's body?" Again, Earth did not move, but Cornelia felt that it had answered 'yes'. She shivered slightly. "Why? How? You just said I had to go back and help, you didn't say anything about…"

"You could not return to your original body," answered Earth. That was true, the Void currently inhabited her body, doing who knew what with it. And Cornelia had barely been able to escape from its clutches, fleeing into Death to be free of it.

Even still, she had been inside someone else, inside Irma. It had felt very strange, not unpleasant, but not right. Cornelia had no desire to attempt it again if she could avoid it.

Cornelia's blue eyes met with Earth's great brown eyes once more.

"You want me to go back, don't you?" asked Cornelia, already knowing the answer.

"After a moments rest, yes," replied Earth. "Your friends will need all the help they can get."

* * *

Irma was tumbling down through boiling liquid rock. But it wasn't all that bad, to be perfectly honest. She would have thought that molten stone would have been a lot hotter than what she was currently experiencing and that she should, at the very least, be on fire.

Although, she possibly was. She had given up her body to Earth. Even though she wasn't sure what that completely entailed, she guessed the loss of feeling in most of her might be related.

But other than the river of fire that flowed around her, everything was actually quite pleasant. Her only complaint was that she hadn't reached the bottom of the river yet, which meant, that the only direction she was moving was down. And she knew she needed to move forward, up stream, against the slow current.

She had tried swimming but had gotten nowhere, apparently, swimming in lava simply didn't work, who knew? Floating seemed to be impossible as well because all she could manage to do was sink, and she wasn't even trying to do that!

Irma was fairly sure that she was sinking. Surprisingly she could see through the red lava. It was like looking through very murky water. She couldn't see very far, maybe only ten or fifteen feet, but it was enough to tell that she was moving downwards.

She had also seen things in the water, things that looked like people. Every now and then they had passed by her, carried in the current towards the ocean at the end of the river of fire.

She didn't want to go that way, she had already been that way. She had to move against the current, to the source of the fire river and hopefully at the end, Will.

After all, that was why she had come all this way, done all these things. She was here to find Will, to bring her back. Irma knew she must be close, knew that Will could not be much further ahead of her.

Not for the first time she wondered how she would bring Will back from Death. Irma had always just assumed that when she found Will everything would work itself out and they would end up back in Kandrakar. But the more she thought about it, the more her plan to bring Will back seemed to have a giant gaping hole right at it's heart.

At the edge of the limited sphere of vision Irma at last saw the bottom of the river rising up towards her. Her foot touched the soft ground, but did not stop. There was a moment of panic as her leg continued its downward dissent a good two feet more before, at last, touching something solid.

Partially submerged in something Irma could only rightly describe as muck, she tried taking a step forward. To her surprise she found that neither the muck along the bottom of the fire river, nor the current of the river itself, inhibited her ability to walk. In fact, for all the resistance it gave her, she might have been walking the wrong way.

Irma froze. There were no points of reference to direct her, no way to tell which direction was the correct one. But Irma was sure that her guess was right. Turning in the waist high muck, Irma made to move the other way. A sudden strong current pushed against her and the muck felt more dense too, pulling at her legs, making it difficult for her to walk.

'Of course it couldn't be that easy,' thought Irma as she trudge against the push of the fire river.

Every now and then things would flutter through the edge of her vision. Some where long and snake like, while others were tiny and oddly shaped. Once, she thought she even saw the ghostly red form of a tree race past her. But, it was gone before she could decide if it had been a tree or a rock, or perhaps nothing at all.

She had also realized what it was she was wading through, it was ash. Even stranger, when she lifted some with her hand and it slid through her fingers, the ash tumbled back down like sand, as if she wasn't under lava at all.

Why couldn't this place just have some kind of yellow brick road thingy, with Will standing at the far end? It was all like some bad dream that had been eaten by a nightmare and given it some terrible indigestion. Irma suddenly felt hungry, craving a cheese burger more than anything right then.

Onwards she trudged, lava racing past her on all sides, pushing against her, trying to carry Irma back to the ocean far behind. How long she walked she did not know. The flow of time and the flow of the river were disconnected.

Without warning, Irma's head suddenly broke through the surface of the lava. She had not even realized she'd been walking uphill. She continued forward, each step carrying her into shallower areas.

Her eyes swept across the world around her. The sky here was very dark and starless, although not entirely black. The soft red and gold glow from the flowing lava lit the world out to the horizons. For this place had no solid ground that Irma could see.

She had thought the river would take her deep into the mountain at the center of Oasis, the Earth plane, but this did not look like the inside of a mountain.

Irma continued to walk against the current, it was no only ankle deep, even the ash seemed to have gone. She wasn't sure what she was walking on exactly, since she couldn't see her feet, but it almost felt like she was walking on Jell-O.

In the distance ahead of her, Irma could see a place where the lava rose up again in a great column. She knew that she must head that way, as it was the only thing in sight.

As she got closer though, Irma realized that it was not lava, it was a wall of fire. Massive flames reached up into the sky, much higher than they had when she had been a good distance away. And she was sure that they hadn't just appeared smaller but had actually gotten larger as she approached.

Irma stopped at the wall of flames, standing only a few feet away from it. Like the lava swimming around her feet, this wall didn't burn her either, until she reached out a hand to touch it that is.

With a yelp of pain, Irma pulled her had back. The flame she had touched glowed white hot for a moment before calming back to red.

Her fingers felt slightly numb. The sensation was not new to her, Irma had experienced this feeling before, back in Haven when she had touched the glass people and again in Refuge when she had been trapped by the bodies of fire swimming around her. And again, in Oasis, when she had first fallen into the river of fire.

"We can't get through," whispered a voice that made Irma nearly jump into the wall of fire. Quickly she looked around, searching for the speaker.

At first, Irma wasn't entirely sure who she was looking at. A girl, with shoulder length dark blue hair was staring at Irma. She was slightly taller than Irma and looked vaguely familiar. It wasn't until Irma looked into the girl's brown eyes that she suddenly realized who this person must be.

"Serenity?" asked Irma. The girl nodded slowly. She looked very different without her silver hair and black reflectionless eyes, somehow more normal, more human. And her eyes, that was what Irma noticed the most. Her eye's looked just like Will's.

"Where are we?" asked Irma, looking around properly for the first time. This obviously had to be the plane of fire. After all, she had already been through air and water and earth.

"This is Sanctuary," replied Serenity, "the plane of fire, the final gate of death."

"And you know that how, exactly?" inquire Irma.

"I asked, just like you did," answered Serenity with a shrug. It didn't occur to Irma to ask who had told Serenity this, but that felt less important than what Irma really wanted to know.

"Alright, if this is the final gate, where's Will?" said Irma.

"Beyond it," replied Serenity. "She just went through on a few seconds ago." Irma felt her heart suddenly sink. She had come all this way, all the way to the end of Death, and she missed Will by a second!

"I have to follow her, I've come too far to give up now!" cried Irma, reaching out to touch the fire wall again. But Serenity stopped her, pulling Irma's hand back.

"The living cannot pass," hissed a voice that had not come from either girl. Both Irma and Serenity looked up. A giant red-gold salamander was racing down the wall towards them. They had just enough time to move out of the way before it crashed into the lava ground, sending a great wave out in all directions.

"This is the end of your journey, Irma Liar," stated the massive salamander. Irma eyed the enormous creature and knew that like it's kin, this thing must be the element of Fire. "Return to life, this place is not for you."

"But I have to get Will!" shouted Irma, frustration in her voice. "I came for Will! And I'm not going back without her."

"Impossible," hissed the salamander, its dark red eyes spinning in its head to focus on Irma. "the living cannot pass. You have not paid your price."

'Paid her price?' thought Irma. 'Of course, all the other elements wanted something from her, a name, a tear, a body. But what did Fire want, Irma was running out of things to give away.'

"So what is your price?" asked Irma, with as calm a face as she could muster.

"The price," replied Fire. "Is life." Irma felt a shiver run down her body at these words.

"I… I can't give that up," said Irma.

"Then you may not pass," said Fire.

"You don't need her life, do you?" asked Serenity, Irma jumped at her voice momentarily forgetting she was there. Fire did not answer right away.

"Any may pay the price for final Death," said Fire.

"No," shouted Irma, looking at Serenity. "You can't."

"I thought it was my destiny to save Will," said Serenity, a sad smile at the edge of her lips. "But I was never meant to. I was supposed to bring her here. I am supposed to help you get to her." Irma had no words to this. "I give you my life, Fire."

Serenity began to dissolve into golden dust and in a moment more she was gone. But the remnant left behind moved as a single entity into the flaming wall. The curtain of fire parted, leaving a gap just big enough for Irma to walk through. She wanted to cry, but Water had taken her tears, so Irma just looked at Fire with burdened eyes before stepping through into the darkness beyond.

* * *

Irma's step through the curtain of fire felt like it took much longer than it should have. When her foot once again touched ground she seemed to be much further away then any single stride could have carried her.

She was no longer in Sanctuary, the plane of fire. And the roar of the fire wall was gone too, replaced with peaceful silence.

With a sweeping glance Irma took in her surroundings. The wall of fire was most definitely gone, so distant that it appeared to have just vanished. Instead of boiling lava underfoot, this place had very white, almost glowing, ground. And the sky was an immense curtain of black, stretched to the horizons.

Although there was something odd about the horizons now that Irma looked at them properly. Usually, horizons curved down, but here, the ground and sky came to meet each other in perfect balance. It was the same in all directions. It was as if Irma had just popped into existence here.

But what was even stranger than all that was the feeling Irma had. She had been here before, she knew it. She had been in a place with a terrible black sky and a glowing white ground, but for the life of her she couldn't remember where or when it had been.

However, her worries of memories past instantly faded from Irma as her eyes found the person in front of her. She was walking away but wasn't more than ten yards ahead of Irma. And Irma instantly recognized her.

Shouts of joy escaped Irma's lips as she sprinted towards the person.

"Will!" cried Irma, colliding with her redheaded friend and wrapping her arms tightly around her. Will had barely enough time to turn around before Irma had grabbed her. "I found you, I can't believe I found you at last!"

For a moment there was nothing but an surprised expression on Will's face. Then she returned Irma's hug, although somewhat awkwardly.

"Irma… what…" Will began, trying to find her words. "What are you doing here? You… you aren't… dead…"

"I'm not dead," said Irma, still not letting go of Will. "I came to find you, I came to bring you back." Irma did not see the frown spread across Will's face. "We need you Will. We need your help. You have to come with me!"

"No," said Will simply, her tone flat. Irma finally relinquished her hug, but did not let go of Will, keeping a firm hold of one of her hands. "I'm not going back."

"But you have too!" cried Irma. "I came all this way to find you!"

"I'm sorry," replied Will, though she did not look it. "You shouldn't have come." Will tried to pull away, but Irma did not let her.

"I didn't go through all of this for you to just give up," said Irma sternly, tightening her grip. "I'm bringing you back to life if I have to carry you all the way!"

"Would you really do that to me?" asked Will, this time Irma saw the sadness in Will's eyes and she almost let her go. "Would you force me to go back against my will?"

"No," answered Irma. Again, she wished she could cry but no tears came.

"Then let me go," said Will.

"Go where?" asked Irma, confused. This was the end of death, final death. Where else did someone go from here?

In answer, Will stepped slightly to the side and Irma saw something more beautiful than she could ever have imagined. How she hadn't noticed it when she'd first arrived, she did not know, but now that she had seen it she could not look away.

Floating in the air in front of them was a great spinning diamond. Inside the massive diamond shaped stone, the five elemental colors danced around each other, never touching.

From the top of the diamond, four great ribbons of white fire raced into the black sky. While from the white ground four twisting cords of black flame leapt up into the diamond.

"It's the Heart of the Universe," said Will quietly. "The point from which all life emerges and to place where all energy eventually returns. I've heard others talk of it on my journey down here. It is the place where everything goes in the end. It's where I want to go, where I must go."

Irma shook her head but words would not come to her, "Will, please." Was all Irma could manage.

Will smiled, though it was a sad smile and at last, she pulled free of Irma's grip. There was nothing Irma could do. Her feet would not move, her voice would not work. All she could do was watch as Will approached the glowing stone at the heart of all existence and reached out her hand to touch it.

"So you have come at last," said a voice that was soft, yet powerful. Will fingers halted mere inches from the surface of the diamond heart. Both Will and Irma looked around for the source of the voice.

Irma was not surprised to spot a great serpent moving towards them. She had thus far encountered an element on every plane of death, taking the shape of a dragon like beast. This one was long and slender like the others, but it was the first time she had seen one of them actually appear to be made of their element, rather than scales.

Energy, for Irma guessed this could be no other beast, was made of its namesake. A long white lighting body twisted through the air behind as it moved. Its eyes were great shadowy black orbs, highly contrasting with the rest of its body.

"We have been expecting your return for some time," there was a pang of surprise as Irma realized that these words had come from somewhere else, from someone behind her. She turned to look and saw Fire, the element, the dragon, no longer made of red and gold scale, but dancing flame, undulating across the sky.

"There was doubt if you would return in time," stated still another voice, and this time Irma spotted Earth, now too made from stone and trees, moving along the ground.

"But you have come to us at last," said Water, its massive body comprised of its element, which was somehow contained so that it did not splash everywhere as it approached.

"And we are ready for you," whispered air, its outline barely visible above them.

All five elements where here, gathered around them, encircling Will and Irma and the Heart of the Universe, and they were speaking to them.

"What do you mean by 'return'?" asked Will, her hand still outstretched towards the Heart of the Universe.

"This is the place where all life starts," answered Energy. "This is the place from which you were crafted."

"Like all beings," continued Fire before either Will or Irma could interrupt, "you passed through the claws of the elements so that we could shape you on your way to life. Irma's brow furled, something in the back of her head had just clicked, but she wasn't sure what it was yet.

"You are born of the Heart of the Universe in Asylum," explained Earth, "and tempered in the fires of Sanctuary."

"You are carried across Oasis to the waters of Refuge where your shape is set," answered Water.

"Until you finally cool in Haven and your life fire is sent out into the universe," said Air.

"The glass people!" cried Irma suddenly, all eyes turned upon her, but Irma continued, although somewhat quieter. "They were all the same thing, people, newly born people. The glass people in Haven were what they looked like when they were finished. But I saw them in Refuge and Oasis and Sanctuary and…" Irma looked at the white ribbons of fire flowing out of the Heart of the Universe. "…and here." She said pointing at the stone.

"Correct," replied Energy. "We are the shapers of life. The builders of the universe."

"So you made the universe?" asked Will. "You created everything?"

"No," replied Fire. "We do not create."

"The universe flows," continued Earth, "and we simply give it form."

"And shape," said Water.

"And purpose," finished Air.

"So you gave me a purpose?" asked Will.

"All living things are given the same purpose," answered Energy.

"Their purpose is to exist," said Fire.

"For without existence, there is only nothingness," continued Earth.

"But your purpose is different," explained Water.

"Your purpose is not simply to exist," said Air.

"Then what is my purpose?" asked Will. "To be tormented all my life? To be made into someone I'm not? To have my future laid out for me without any choices of my own!" Will shouted.

"Your purpose," answered Energy, its voice still calm. "is different, because it must be."

"Your purpose," said Fire, "is unique because only one can have such a purpose."

"Your purpose," explained Earth, "is for you alone but will effect all things."

"Your purpose," said Water, "was decided long ago, when we first saw that what begins, must end."

"Your purpose," finished Air, and it moved closer to Will as it spoke, "is to continue to exist, Wilhelmina."

"That really doesn't sound all that much different," said Irma after a short, silent pause. "She is supposed to continue to exist? How is that any different than my purpose?"

"A single word can change the world," said Energy.

"A single change can make the difference," continued Fire.

"There are those that were," said Earth, "those that are and those that will always be."

"Wilhelmina, shall always be," said Water.

"Even, at the end of all things," explained Air.

"That isn't fair!" shouted Will. "That isn't fair at all! I'm dead, it's over! But you're saying it isn't. You're saying that I have to go back! That I have to endure this existence forever and ever?" The elements did not respond.

Will's hand moved back towards the Heart of the Universe.

"And what if I touch it, will it absorb me? Will I finally not be me any more?" asked Will.

"Will," cried Irma, terrified by the thought.

"No," all of the elements calmly answered in unison.

"The Heart of the Universe will not take you back, Wilhelmina," said Energy.

"You were forged to always be," said Fire.

"Unbreakable and forever," continued Earth.

"You were made that way so that one day, you could do what no one else can," explained Water.

"And what was I made for?" asked Will, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"To become the keeper of the Heart of the Universe," answered Air.

**

* * *

Authors notes:**

**Hello again everyone! Thank you for taking time out of your busy weekend (and or other day if you are reading this after release) to come and read my story! The end draws near, but sadly its not as close as usual. The next (a last true) chapter will post on June 19****th**** 2010 and the epilog the day after that (on June 20****th****). **

**For anyone who can do some quick monkey math, that is three weeks form today, instead of the usual two. Last chapter needs a little more time then the rest (although I think I'll still most likely end up writing it the night before…)**

**Anyhow…**

**THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED LAST CHAPTER (MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK! (not really)): **kama674, Lexvan, Joe Habana, XV-Dragon, Darev, DayDreamer9 **and** dad-d-dough.

**And of course THANK YOU all my readers! I hope you are enjoying the story.**

**Starwin out.**


	17. E4 P5: We are Witch

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Sanctuary

* * *

Part 5: We are Witch

* * *

To Taranee, it felt like she had only just lain down, yet it had actually been more than a day since she had fallen asleep. But as her unfocused eyes opened she didn't feel as if she had slept at all. In the seconds between dreams and reality it is often easy to forget what was, is and should be. As Taranee took in her surroundings, she wished she were still dreaming.

She was in Kandrakar. Walls of gleaming white surrounded her. She lay upon a soft bed that was unlike any mattress she had ever slept on. If it had been a normal mattress it would have most likely burned to the ground by now.

Even though Taranee had fallen asleep, her elemental manifestation still raged around her. She was on fire! Her skin was wrapped so tightly in flames that she appeared to be wearing clothing made from dancing fire. Taranee was not sure how to turn it off or even sure if she could.

She had somehow taken some of the energy from the Void back on Earth. Or maybe it hadn't been the Void's energy, maybe it had been the energy of all the Hearts it had stolen? Taranee didn't know.

Sleep had neither lifted her burdens nor relieved her exhaustion. All Taranee wanted to do was close her eyes and slip back into the blissful dreams that were already fading from her thoughts.

But of course she couldn't go back to sleep. Taranee had not awoken on her own. Someone had called her back from slumber. Someone had demanded that she wake. Someone—possibly more than one person, for she could here several different voices speaking loudly now—was knocking on her door and calling her name.

Taranee slid out of bed, her bear feet touching smooth marble floor. She stumbled slightly as she made her way across the small room to the place where the knocking was echoing from.

With a quick pull Taranee yanked the door open to find a strange assortment of people on the other side. Elyon was there, but she hadn't been the one knocking, in fact she seemed to be trying to stop the person who was. Shagon was there too, but he just seemed to be watching. The person who was knocking appeared to be one of the Elders of Kandrakar, Taranee seemed to recall that his name was Tiber. And there were several other Elders gathered around as well, although Taranee did not know their names.

Everyone had frozen the moment Taranee had opened the door as if they had been caught doing something they shouldn't have. Elyon's hands were wrapped around Tiber's arm, trying to keep him from knocking again, while two of the other Elders were trying to hold her back.

"What," Taranee asked. Her voice sounded slightly hollow as if she didn't really care what was going on or what they wanted.

"The Council of Kandrakar requests your presence, Keeper of the Heart," said Tiber with a slight bow.

"I tried to tell them not to disturb you," said Elyon, still not releasing Tiber, "but they wouldn't listen."

"This is the business of Kandrakar," answered Tiber, in a much more irritated tone than Taranee had ever heard an Elder use before. Elyon made to argue, but Taranee held up her hand for silence.

"Ok," said Taranee.

"But…" tried Elyon with a worried expression.

"I'll be fine," said Taranee although her heart was not behind her words.

* * *

Cornelia found herself back in Kandrakar, not in her own body, but in someone else's yet again. Her arms and legs moved awkwardly as if distantly connected by strings. Her vision was distorted, like she was looking up from underwater.

The room she was standing in was strange too, although she had been here once before. The floor was shrouded in mist and warm golden light flowed from the wall at her back. Cornelia was also not alone. Three more bodies lay in the center of the large circular room, each one raised from the floor on beds made of stone. Last time there had just been one.

The first person she expected. After all, Cornelia had been responsible for her death. Will lay motionless and still under a blanket of white cloth, which seemed to be made from clouds.

The raised stone beside Will was empty and Cornelia knew that it was where the body she now inhabited had been laying only a few moments ago. Beside the empty bed was the motionless form of Serenity, her silver hair shining in the light of the golden glow, although it remained silver.

And upon the last bed—Cornelia felt her heart beat unevenly in her chest—she saw Hay Lin, as peaceful as if she were just asleep, but Cornelia knew otherwise. She could feel death in all three of them. Only the body she had drifted into still had a heart beat.

She examined her hands, frowning slightly at her pudgy arms. She had returned to Irma's body once again. It was an uncomfortable feeling but Cornelia hadn't come to be comfortable.

Cornelia commanded her feet to walk and they shuffled at a painfully slow pace across the floor, stirring up the mist. It was the fastest she could go. Time was against her now, she knew that, Earth had told her that she could not waist even a moment. She must bring a warning to Kandrakar as fast as possible. She must tell them, the Void had come for the final Heart.

* * *

Taranee hadn't paid much attention to where they had been going. She hadn't listened to the whispered words of conversation around her. Her thoughts were empty, her mind blank. She was too numb to comprehend much of anything.

But as they entered into the room that seemed to be their destination, Taranee was lifted slightly from her stupor. She had never been in this room. That was not wholly surprising to her, after all, there must be many parts of Kandrakar she had never been in before. But this room was amazing.

The walls were very tall, reaching up like a great column. Great spider webs of colored crystal crisscrossed high above making elegant patterns against each other. And at the very top, where there should have been a ceiling, was an opening to the sky outside.

The floor was flat and smooth, but unlike the rest of Kandrakar, it was not made from marble, rather it seemed to be made of some opaque glass. It was not slippery, she could feel raised bumps beneath her bare feet which, upon closer inspection appeared to be symbols.

Taranee also noticed that this room was not at all empty, as she had first thought. Standing along the walls, in a never ending spiral, that made its way upwards, were the Elders of Kandrakar, all looking down upon them. And there was someone standing in the center of the room, someone Taranee knew but was none the less surprised to see there, Susan Vandom.

Taranee knew that Susan, that everyone here, must be waiting for her. But what did they want from her? Did they want to question her? Did they want Taranee to answer for what had happened to Hay Lin? At the thought Taranee almost broke down into tears but through sheer force of will managed to stifle them.

They stopped walking when they were only a few feet from Susan, than the gentle hands that had been guiding Taranee onwards released her. She could feel the people that had led her out retreating and soon only Taranee and Susan stood upon the floor.

Susan's smile was warm but there was something in the older woman's eyes that Taranee did not understand. Susan held out a hand for Taranee to take, but when Taranee did not, Susan spoke in a kind and oddly reassuring voice.

"Do not be afraid," said Susan. "You have been asked to come because you are the Keeper of the Heart." Taranee did not make any sign that she had either heard or understood. "The Elders of Kandrakar have asked that I become the new Oracle. For that to happen, the Heart of Kandrakar, and its Keeper are needed."

Taranee nodded slowly, although she still could not comprehend what any of that had to do with her. It was then that Taranee remembered that she had been made Keeper when Will had fallen. And so Susan, Will's mother, was to become Oracle when the previous one had been lost.

"Ok," answered Taranee at last, still truthfully unsure what she was agreeing too. Susan seemed to relax slightly at these words. Taranee realized that what she had seen in Susan's eyes was uncertainty and fear at Taranee's possible reaction. "What do you need me to do?"

Susan smiled thankfully. "Lift up the Heart of Kandrakar, and hold it to my forehead. Do not pull away. Do not let go." Taranee nodded again before lifting the gem and touching it against Susan's temple.

A great booming sound erupted from around the chamber. Taranee jumped and nearly broke the contact, but she managed to keep her hand steady. At first Taranee thought the sound had been some kind of explosion, but the roar continued and now that she was listening to it, there was some kind of rhythm to the noise.

At last, Taranee realized what it was, it was chanting. The Elders of Kandrakar were all speaking with one voice, calling out words of power that flowed through the air and into Susan. The room magnified the words until Taranee could feel her very bones vibrating with the sound.

The Heart appeared to have heard the words as well, for the red crystal that marked Taranee's place as Keeper had begun to glow brightly. It pulsed in time with the chants. Susan closed her eyes but Taranee couldn't even blink.

Something else was starting to happen. The glass floor, which had been foggy white before, was slowly becoming transparent. It was like the light from the Heart was burning off the clouds inside the glass. Taranee felt her eyes widen as she saw what was below them.

The Aurameres, the source of the Guardian's powers, were hundreds of feet beneath, her feet. Five great whirling orbs of light that danced around one another, circling but never touching. Taranee had never seen them like this before. Usually, the orbs were the size of basket balls. Now, however, they were much, much larger, each bigger than a car.

Faster and faster the Auramere spun, each throwing their elemental color against the glass and up into the room. Taranee watched as red, green, blue, white and pink sped past, over and over and over. Each time they came faster, until at last they were indistinguishable from one another, nothing more than a great rainbow circle in the chamber below.

Taranee could feel the light pouring up from the Aurameres. She could feel its heat against her skin and the warmth inside her very bones. The Heart in her hand was vibrating wildly, but Taranee kept a firm grip upon it, she wasn't sure she could have pulled it away even if she had wanted to.

Something about Susan brought Taranee's gaze back to the woman in the middle of the room. She was glowing too, filled entirely with the light of the elements. Her soft skin pulse with light and a white aura shimmered around her.

Taranee was half tempted to close her eyes and bring on her fire-sight, yet somehow she knew that what she was seeing would not look any different. Still she did not pull the Heart away from Susan's temple although Taranee could feel the energy of the Auramere reaching its panicle.

The chanting suddenly ceased. The floor clouded over again. And even though the room was open to the sky above, the chamber fell into complete darkness. But the night lasted only a moment, for a new light filled the chamber with the warm white glow of Kandrakar. It was a glow, that came from Susan.

* * *

Will and Irma stood at the very center of Death, before the Heart of the Universe, encircled by the five Elements that shaped the universe. Each element had the form of a massive dragon, their bodies made from their name sake.

"You have to be joking," replied Will to Air's announcement that she was to become the Keeper of the Heart of the Universe. "I can't… I don't… I won't…"

"It is what you were made for, Wilhelmina," said Energy, its lighting bolt body shifting and crackling as it floated before them.

"I don't care!" shouted Will, stomping her foot in anger. "I don't want to be Keeper of the Universe. I don't want any of this!" None of the elements seem perturbed by this announcement, but Irma felt painfully uncomfortable.

"It is your choice," said Fire.

"What?" asked Will in disbelief. "You're not going to force me, or make me?"

"No," answered Earth. "It must be your choice, Wilhelmina."

"Stop calling me that," said Will irritably. She despised being called Wilhelmina, her name was Will!

"But choose quickly child," said Water. "The end draws near."

"And without you," finished Air, "the Universe will not survive."

"Yeah, no pressure," mumbled Will.

"I'll do it," said Irma determinately. All eyes turned upon her. Will stared at Irma in surprise. "That's what friends are for," explained Irma with a smile. "To help when the burden becomes too much."

"I can't ask you to…" Will started to say.

"You cannot bare this burden Guardian of Water," interrupted Energy. "Should you even touch the Heart of the Universe you would be drawn into it and returned to the great nexus of existence within."

"Only Wilhelmina may take the Heart of the Universe," continued Fire. "She was made to resist its draw."

"She was made to be forever," explained Earth, "for all of time."

"To exist where nothing else can," stated Water.

"To go, beyond the infinity," finished Air.

"And if I don't?" asked Will. "If I refuse?"

"Then soon there will be nothing," answered Energy.

"No life, no death," said Fire.

"The universe will cease to be," continued Earth.

"Existence will cease to be," explained Water.

"There will be only the emptiness, of the Void," said Air.

Will did not answer. She seemed to be thinking it over, battling some internal struggle. Then her eyes turned to Irma.

"What should I do?" asked Will.

"If you think our universe is worth saving," said Irma seriously, "then it seems to be pretty obvious what you have to do." Will nodded.

She turned back to the Heart of the Universe floating just above her. The giant diamond was easily three of four hundred times her size. Briefly, Irma wondered how exactly Will was going to carry it but as Will's hand touched the surface of the gem, it began to shrink rapidly.

The tendrils of white and black flame ceased, evaporating into the air. In moments the Heart of the Universe had become small enough to fit in Will's palm. She stared at it with impassive eyes. It didn't feel like the Heart of Kandrakar, in fact, it didn't feel like Will was holding anything at all.

Will made to shift it in her hand, but suddenly realized it was no longer there. In a panic will searched the ground beneath her feet looking for the precious gem. She couldn't believe she had lost it!

Desperately, Will looked at Irma, as if asking if she had seen where the Heart of the Universe had gone. But Irma already seemed to have an answer, she was pointing at Will's neck. Lightly, Will touched her neck and found the cool surface of polished stone hanging there. The Heart of the Universe seemed to be in a hurry.

"Alright," said Will as calmly as she could manage. "What do I do now?"

"You must return to life," answered Energy.

"You must face the Void and defeat it," continued Fire.

"You must save everything," said Earth.

"And Everyone," added Water.

"It is all upon your shoulders now, Wilhelmina," finished Air.

* * *

At last Taranee finally pulled the Heart away from Susan. She was surprised how easy it was, Taranee had half expected the gem to be fused into Susan's skin. However, as Taranee pulled the gem away, she could see a burn mark on Susan's temple. Except, it was less of a burn and more of a symbol.

It was the symbol of Kandrakar, the half crescent tattoo that marked Susan as the new Oracle. Against her luminescent skin, the mark was the only thing that was dark.

Taranee half expected the lights to come back on, but Susan's glow continued to remain the only source. Taranee looked up to see what had happened to the sky, but the opening that had been visible at the top of the column shaped room was gone.

"What do you see Oracle?" called one of the voices from the stands. Susan did not answer. Another voice called asking a similar question and still another, this one slightly more panicked than the first two.

"I see…" said Susan slowly, her eyes closed tight in concentration. "I see… nothing." Whispers broke out around the room, Taranee could not make out what they were saying even though she could guess at their disappointment.

"I see nothing here, in Kandrakar," continued Susan, ignoring the whispers which suddenly died at her words. "I feel nothing, coming nearer… The Void is here! In Kandrakar and it is coming for us! Coming for you!"

Susan turned to Taranee as she spoke these last words. Susan's glowing eyes fixed on Taranee as if looking through her. Then Susan clapped her hands and white rolling energy poured out of her fingers before crashing into Taranee.

At first, Taranee thought that Susan had attacked her, but as the energy flowed around Taranee she realized that she was not the target. Taranee spun on the spot, her eyes snapping back to the door from which they had entered.

A small silver cat was walking slowly towards them. As the white energy approached it, the cat leapt nimbly aside, dodging the attack with ease.

Taranee felt a strong draw to use her fire-sight, she did not resist the urge and as she blinked the world emerged in flames, except for the cat. A great well of darkness surrounded the feline. It was a darkness so deep, so absolute, that it was almost impossible to look at directly, however Taranee did not obvert her gaze as she stared upon the Void.

She blinked again and the world of fire-sight pealed away. But, as she saw the world again, the cat had vanished, its form had shifted, had changed.

Cornelia now stood before them, or at least her body did. Her shape had been twisted by the Void. Her hair was shining silver, her eyes reflectionless black and her skin as pale as death. She was still clad in silver armor that was somehow dull looking in the light from Susan. It was as if the silver absorbed light, rather than reflected it.

Cornelia's hand lifted, pointing at Taranee. Then it spoke in an unnatural voice that was made of many parts and sounds. It might not have been words at all that Taranee heard, but even still she understood them.

"Give to me your Heart," whispered the Void. "Surrender the last jewel of your Universe. Abandon this existence and join me in nothingness."

Taranee clasped the Heart tightly. She would not give it up. She would not surrender. She would not abandon her hope. She had come too far, lost too much.

Anger and rage exploded inside Taranee. Her fire burned hotter than it ever had before. The flames that wrapped her skin lashed out in all directions. She had beaten back the Void on Earth and she would do it again if she had to.

Striking out, Taranee let loose a blast of fire that smashed into the silver armor of Cornelia. When the fire subsided, Taranee could see that Cornelia's face had vanished beneath a helm of silver metal. Taranee attacked again, and again, each attack slowing the Void slightly, although not stopping it completely.

But Taranee knew it was no good. Her attacks simply weren't strong enough. And if she made them stronger, she risked injuring the council members that lined the walls of the room.

She had to draw the Void away. It was after her and she had to get it someplace where she could fight it!

As if she had summoned them to her side, Elyon and Shagon ran up next to her, both ready to fight.

Taranee looked up, the ceiling was once more open to the sky. Taranee looked down, at the giant piece of glass under her feet and the hundred foot fall.

"Shagon," Taranee commanded. "Grab Susan, I mean the Oracle. Elyon, do you think you have enough energy left for both of us to fly?" Elyon nodded. "Alright, get ready then."

Summoning as much power as was safe Taranee smashed her fist into the glass floor below them. Sparks and fire flared up from where she had struck. Great cracks raced out across the floor. The spider web of cracks flared with fire before giving one last grown and breaking apart.

The floor tumbled away beneath their feet. Huge chunks of the glass upended themselves before shattering apart and raining down into the room below.

But Taranee did not fall, she and Elyon remained right where they were standing, even as the floor fell away beneath their feet. Shagon was already speeding upwards, the Oracle held tightly in his grip. And the silver form of the Void vanished into the shower of glass.

Elyon and Taranee began to rise slowly, not nearly as fast as Shagon racing ahead of them. Taranee watched as the Elders of Kandrakar hurried to exit the room, leaving through doors cut into the walls, rather than the now inaccessible main entrance.

Taranee looked down. All of the glass floor had fallen away and crashed into the room below. She could not spot the silver shape of the Void and for one hopeful moment, Taranee thought that the fall might have killed it. Until she remembered that the Void was not alive and it could not be killed.

The room far, far, below erupted into a great spinning darkness. It turned like a vortex of water, like a whirlpool, like a… black hole.

With a terrible crack and rumble, the lower circular walls of the room were ripped away, sucked into the maw of the Void. The gaping jaws pursued them, eating its way through Kandrakar. And it was moving faster than Elyon and Taranee could ascend.

Taranee looked at Elyon, silently pleading for her friend to go faster. But Elyon's face was tight with concentration, her hands, raised above her head as they rose ever so slowly towards the open sky above.

They would not make it. They were too far away and the Void was moving too fast. Taranee considered throwing another fire attack at the Void, but she wasn't sure if that might completely disrupt Elyon and cause them both to fall.

Taranee could hear the roar of destruction beneath her feet. She could feel its vibration shaking her bones. This was it, the Void was about to suck them in and unmake them!

Two crushing arms wrapped Taranee's waist and she was suddenly lifted with great speed away from the Void. At first she thought it must be Shagon, but that did not seem possible as Elyon was flying along right beside her, and Shagon was flying ahead of them!

Taranee looked around and found that the arms, were not real arms at all. They were long appendages of stone that reached up from the roof of Kandrakar, commanded by a small person that Taranee easily recognized as they zoomed towards her.

Irma had both her arms raised, commanding the hands of stone that had pulled Elyon and Taranee to safety. Taranee had only a moment to be puzzled by this before a thunderous crash tore apart the tower behind them.

The great whirling darkness of the Void emerged from the tower, sucking in the sky and the stone of the roof as it pursued them.

Taranee wasted no time. She summoned the full strength of her might and lashed out with all her strength, white hot flames exploding out from her hands and smashing into the Void. An ear piercing shriek split the air.

Taranee had to halt her attack to cover her ears. But she continued to watch the Void and her fire, which had not extinguished the moment she had stopped attacking. Quiet the opposite in fact, it had become stronger and was moving on its own, carried by the wind.

She could see the funnels of tornados reaching down and grabbing her fire, spinning it up from small flames into roaring blazes before hurling it back at the Void.

Irma lifted up her hand and a huge section of Kandrakar rose, the great marble white stone breaking away easily under her command before smashing into the Void.

"Enough!" roared the Void. Massive tendrils burst out of the darkness, reaching out and strangling the whirling air. Then more arms smashed into the roofs of Kandrakar, causing them to crumble into dust. "Give me your Heart!" demanded the Void. "Give it to me!"

"You want it?" shouted Taranee, her eyes ablaze with flames. Her fire burned even hotter, causing the stone beneath her feet to turn red hot and melt. "Come and get it!"

* * *

"Uh, how exactly do I go back?" asked Will. "Click my heels together and say there's no place like home?"

"No," whispered Irma, "I've already tried that one. Besides you don't have the right footwear… And hey I didn't come all this way for nothing!" Irma added. "I came to bring you back and that's what I'm going to do! Although, to be honest I have no idea how."

"A life once lost cannot be returned," answered Energy.

"For you to leave death and enter life, there is but one course," explained Fire.

"You must be granted the fires of life," said Earth.

"Your flame must be rekindled by another that still burns," continued Water.

"Another must give you their fire of life, for yours to burn again," finished Air.

Will's eyes moved to Irma, and she knew what the elements were asking. She knew what they wanted from Irma.

"No," said Will firmly. "Absolutely not! I will not let anyone sacrifice themselves for me! Irma you can't!" Irma smiled at Will, it was not a sad smile but a mischievous one.

"I can't what?" asked Irma slyly.

"Give up your life for me!" cried Will in exasperation.

"If you insist," said Irma with a shrug. Will looked horrified but Irma just smiled knowingly. "Will, I knew from the start that bringing you back wouldn't be easy. I knew I would have to make sacrifices of myself to find you and save you. And I guess in a way I always knew I would have to do this in the end."

Will shook her head unable to speak. Irma moved closer and wrapped her arms around Will in a reassuring hug.

"Now get back there and kick some ass!" said Irma firmly. "You have a universe to save!" She kissed Will lightly on the forehead. Will's sobs subsided into sniffles as Irma lifted her friend's chin.

Then without warning Irma darted in and kissed Will full on the lips. For a moment Will was shocked and surprised by Irma but after a brief second she relaxed. Will could feel something deeper in the kiss than she had ever felt before. It was Irma's pure love for Will, devotion that went further than feelings, words or even ideas.

Will closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks as she felt warmth return to her body. Will felt a distant Heart beat in her chest and when she opened her eyes, she was standing back in Kandrakar.

* * *

There was hardly time for Will to consider what had happened before arms wrapped around her in a crushing hug. Someone was speaking to her, nearly crying with joy over her. But Will couldn't turn her head enough to see who and it took her a moment to realize who's voice it was.

"Mom?" Will asked surprised. For they were surely in Kandrakar, how could her mother possibly be here?

"Yes," said Susan, her voice still uneven with emotion. She did not release her daughter from the embrace. "I'm so happy you found your way back… Will, what's wrong?" For Susan had noticed that Will did not appear to be at all happy to be back.

"Irma…" Will started, but she could not finish.

"She did what needed to be done," answered Susan. Will felt anger flair up deep inside. How could her mother just dismiss Irma like that! After what she had done for Will! But the anger was quickly drown in sorrow and Will could not stop the tears that rolled down her face.

The floor trembled beneath their feet. Trails of dust streamed down from the ceiling. It felt like Kandrakar was being shaken apart. Will glanced around uncertainly, looking for the source of the shaking, but it was not visible in the room.

"We have to hurry Oracle!" said another voice. Will's eyes moved from the white marble walls to the white featureless face of a masked man with raven black wings. Will was sure she had never met him before, yet… there was something oddly familiar about him.

"Who are…" Will began to ask. But something else pulled Will's focus away. "Oracle!" she shouted, finally freeing herself of her mother's grip. Will spun on the spot, her eyes scanning the room. But apart from herself, her mother and the man in the white mask, there was no one else in the chamber with them. And certainly not the Oracle.

"Will," Susan said softly. "I am the new Oracle." For a moment, time felt like it had stopped around Will. The words hung in the air as her brain struggled to process this announcement.

"You… what… I don't… what?" stammered Will, her brain too addled to understand.

"Oracle," the man demanded again as the room gave another violent shutter.

"Yes," said Susan, forcing herself to become calm and focused. "Will, the Void is here, in Kandrakar. Taranee drew it off, but she cannot fight it for long. I've seen your future." Will frowned. "I've seen what is to come. You must succeed, you cannot fail.

"Will," Susan said again as she moved closer to her daughter, who was looking nervously at the floor and rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "The Oracle, your father," Will suddenly looked up at her mother, anger in her eyes, but Susan did not stop, "he saw what was to come, but he couldn't understand it. He couldn't see what it meant. He thought that something was blocking his vision, but he was wrong.

"The Oracle could not see the future because…" Susan broke off, she looked nervous, as if the words she were about to speak were forbidden. "Because, there is no future. The Void is going to destroy the Universe."

Will looked at her mother in shock, unable to find words to respond to this announcement.

"The Void cannot die. It cannot be unmade or sealed away," continued Susan. "It is the embodiment of nothing. It is not a person, a spirit, an element or a god. It is a force. A force which cannot be stopped once it is unleashed."

"So what am I supposed to do," asked Will meekly. All of it had been for nothing. She had come back to life, but for what? To be unmade by the Void as it rolled across the universe? She had been better off in death!

"Death would not have preserved you," said Susan. Will was shocked, she wasn't sure if she had voiced her concern or if her mother had read her thoughts. Had it been another time and place, Will would have been extremely annoyed, but as it was the end of the universe, she had other concerns. "The Void will take everything of our universe, including life and death."

"But what…" Will started to repeat with frustration.

"I do not know," said Susan, her voice cracking. There were tears escaping her eyes. "All the powers of Kandrakar inside me and I do not know."

"You have to fight," said the masked man. Both Susan and Will turned to look at him. "You have to win. Hope is only lost, when we abandon it. Your purpose, as a guardian, is to bring hope to those that do not have it."

"My purpose…" whispered Will and she touched the gem around her neck. The elements had said her purpose was to exist. No… her purpose was to continue to exist. To continue, when everything else was lost… What if that was what they meant?

"I'm going to fight it," announced Will as she tightened her hold on the Heart of the Universe, feeling its incredible power in her fist. "Even if I can't win."

Will half expected her mother to protest, but she just smiled sadly.

"Then you must hurry," said Susan.

"I can carry you," said the masked man. Will nodded. Without any effort at all, he lifted her off her feet so that she was cradled in his arms. He felt familiar too, but Will couldn't place his touch.

"Goodbye," said Susan and, before Will could answer, Susan waved her hand and Shagon and Will vanished.

* * *

The Void roared again, but Taranee stood firm, she would not surrender, she would not give up! To her right, Irma was moving her hands calling more stones to rise and fling themselves at the Void. The huge slabs of marble raced through the air, but as they got close they lost their speed and dropped out of the sky.

For a moment Taranee thought it was the Void's doing, but it was quickly apparent that it was Irma, or at least whatever was controlling Irma. The brown haired girl swayed slightly and then collapsed. Taranee knew that she was alone.

She was the last defender, the last Guardian left. She would protect the Heart of Kandrakar to the end. Taranee's flames blazed around her as she prepared another attack.

Yet something behind the Void pulled away her attention. It looked like a bird at first. A bird that had appeared out of thin air. But as it got closer, Taranee could see that it was not a bird, but a man with wings. It was Shagon and he was carrying someone… he was carrying… Will!

The Void did not see them! There was still hope, there was still a chance. But not for Taranee.

The distraction was what the Void needed. One long arm whipped out at Taranee. There wasn't time for her to react. Except the arm did not hit her, it swiped the air just in front of her missing Taranee by a fraction of a fraction of an inch.

Until Taranee realized that it hadn't been aiming for her. The Heart… was gone. With a jolt of pain Taranee felt the loss of the Heart of Kandrakar. She had been more then simply the carrier, she had been keeper. Her very soul had been intertwined with the gem that was now rapidly racing back to the Void's waiting maw.

Taranee could feel her life force bleeding out of her, the same as if she had suffered a mortal wound. Her thoughts flashed back to Elyon and what had happened to her. Taranee had saved her friend's life, but only just. There was no one here to save her.

With a soft thud, Taranee collapsed onto the roof of Kandrakar, her eyelids heavy and the flames around her body dissipating into the air.

* * *

"NO!" Will shouted as she watched Taranee crumple to the ground. She had not been fast enough, she had arrived too late to save her friends!

Filled with rage Will unleashed the incredible energy of the Heart of the Universe. Great beams of blinding white light erupted out of Will before smashing into the shadowy shape of the Void, completely annihilating it.

Shagon sped through the air, racing to the spot where both Irma and Taranee lay motionless. The moment Shagon landed Will struggled to get free as Shagon tried to put her down.

Will didn't even have to get close to Irma to know she was gone. But Taranee, there was still the faintest spark of life inside her. Will knelt down next to her friend. Taranee's eyes were half closed, her chest rose and fell with struggling breaths.

"I'm sorry," whispered Will. One of Taranee's golden eyes opened to look at Will and Will could swear that Taranee was smiling slightly.

"So," wheezed Taranee, "she actually did it?" Will nodded but couldn't speak. Taranee lifted her hand for Will to take. "Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing. Don't let our struggle be wasted…"

Will took Taranee's hand, but no sooner had they touched than Taranee began to evaporate into sparks of golden light. Will tried to let go, but it was too late, there was nothing to let go of. Taranee had vanished completely, her golden dust shining briefly before fading away.

"You!" echoed a booming voice from behind Will. Will stood quickly, turning on the spot to see the shadows of the Void beginning to swirl back together. "You are not supposed to be."

Will raised her fists again, pointing them at the mass of the Void. "That might not have destroyed you," said Will, her voice seething with anger, "But I'm willing to try as many times as it takes before it does." Will lashed out again, crackling beams of light ripping through the air. But the Void dodged, leaping skyward, flying away from Kandrakar.

Will did not even hesitate, she jumped with all her might. The roofs of Kandrakar fell away below her feet. She chased the mass of darkness across the sky of Kandrakar, propelled by the magic of the gem around her neck.

Higher and higher and higher until at last, Will could see a great white wall ahead of them. They must be miles and miles above Kandrakar, Will had never considered what might be up here. But now she could see, that like all of Kandrakar it was simply more walls.

Although this wall extended to the horizons, curving away like a great dome. A strange thought occurred to Will and in her minds eye she could see all of Kandrakar sealed in a great egg in space.

The Void smashed into the white wall, ripping it open. Clouds and air turned and whirled as they were sucked out into space. Will could feel the vacuum tugging at her as well. She did not resist its pull nor was she afraid of it. She knew the Heart of the Universe would protect her.

No sooner had Will soared through the gap, than it began to close behind her. She was in space, floating among the stars. Below her the small white orb of Kandrakar was quickly falling away. The massive hole the Void had made was already sealing itself.

Will's eyes turned back to the Void, except, she couldn't see it anymore. In Kandrakar, there had been no place for it to hide. But in the darkness of space, it was invisible. Will's eyes searched desperately, looking for something darker than normal space, but she could not find it.

Through the Heart of the Universe, Will could sense that the Void had not gone far. She had to stall it from escaping for good, she had to make it reveal itself to her.

"Why," asked Will her words floating across space, carried by magic in all directions. "Why did you do all this, why do you want to destroy our universe?"

"For you," replied the Void. Whatever Will had been expecting, it hadn't been that. "I saw your pain reflected in Serenity. I watched your sorrowful existence, twisted by others, manipulated from afar.

"You wanted it to end. You wished for it to end. And I have come to grant your wish," explained the Void, its voice speaking from every direction. "You searched for final Death, seeking escape from existence. But even there did the universe plot against you."

"How do you know that?" asked Will. The Void couldn't possibly have seen her at the end of Death? How could it know what she had been thinking and feeling? How could it know her reasons for going there?

"Your past is written upon you," replied the Void to her unasked question. "I see you without time. I see your universe as it was, is and will be. Existence only causes pain. Being only brings suffering. Life only leads to death.

"I did not come here to destroy you," answered the Void at last. "I came to set you free. That is what you desire, is it not?" Will did not answer. She wanted to tell the Void that it was wrong, that she didn't want that kind of freedom. But she could not.

She had let go of life to be done with its pains. She had refused a second life in Kandrakar. And she had sought out the end of death so that her burdens could be lifted. Yet none of it had brought her any comfort. She still existed knowing everything about her was one great cosmic joke.

"Your efforts are in vein," said the Void when Will did not answer. "You are far too late to stop this, even if you wanted to." Dark energy, darker than any darkness in the entire universe erupted outwards from a tiny invisible point in front of Will. She had finally found the Void, but it was too late.

The massive darkness collided with Will as she flung her arms out in front of her, summoning all her strength. Bright light, the power of the very universe, wrapped around her as she held against the blast. But she could feel it wouldn't be enough. She wasn't strong enough to stop this. Even with the powers of the entire universe behind her, Will could only resist the Void's draw to nothingness, not stop it.

Tears streamed from her eyes, spraying out into space. Will could feel the terrible shadows starting to unmake her. There was nothing she could do, her hands were trembling so badly, she could feel the nothingness trying to find a way in and undo her.

A ghostly transparent hand rested gently against Wills own, steadying her shaking hand. Her eyes snapped to her side, hardly able to comprehend what she was seeing. Irma—Irma was floating there in space, right beside her, a smile spread across the transparent girl's face.

A second hand came to rest on Will's other arm. It was Hay Lin. She was here too.

"You can't give in Will," said Hay Lin. "You've come all this way!"

"And don't be silly," said Irma casually. "You were never alone!"

A third hand came to rest on the same side as Hay Lin, it was Taranee.

"We'll always be together, no matter what," said Taranee.

"Now hurry up and fight back!" said Cornelia, as her hand came to rest on the same side as Irma's.

Will could only nod. She felt new strength, familiar strength. It was the power of her friends love for her. Their power flowed through her, redoubling her own energy.

With a cry that shook the universe Will broke free of the blast of negative energy, flying away with speed faster than light. Will felt the universe tremble around her.

Merged with the Heart of the Universe she could feel the whole of existence at her fingertips, connected to her in a way she never thought possible. She could feel its pain, crying out to her, begging for her help.

Will's eye swept across the star filled sky, except, it wasn't star filled anymore. The stars were blinking out. Great waves of darkness were consuming the universe. The sky, the infinite sky of reality, began to crack open and the Void, darker than empty space, poured into the universe.

In her mind, Will could hear the cries and screams of countless worlds dieing. Not just dieing but being unmade, as if they had never been. Reaching out, as if her hand were the universe, she took hold of one of the worlds about to be consumed by the Void. But as she did the world disintegrated into shards of light, much like what had happened to Taranee when Will had touched her.

Will was so shocked that she pulled away, but the light came with her, into her. As if taking their cue from Will, other worlds started turning into star dust and racing towards Will.

Will couldn't stop it. She was destroying the universe, billions of worlds and stars and galaxies at a time. And yet it didn't feel like destruction… it felt like… like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was an incredible feeling of hope and life.

The nothingness of the Void raced from all directions, consuming the infinite universe in seconds. But those seconds had been enough for Will to touch the Heart of every planet and save the Soul of every world.

And in a moment the universe, that had stood for all of time, was gone, erased by the Void. Kandrakar, Earth, Metamoor and even Death, had all ceased to be. Only Will remained, small and tiny in the nothingness that was the Void.

* * *

Will floated in the nothingness, the Heart of the Universe was protecting her from the Void. She was the only one left. The last survivor of the entire universe, destined to be alone in absolute darkness forever.

Except, she wasn't alone. Inside her was the warmest, purest, golden light she had ever felt. The power of an unimaginable amount of stars were contained within her body. And Will glowed brighter than any sun, pushing back the Void, keeping it from taking her too.

But the light was fading, the energy shrinking. Even now, with everything gone, the Void was not done, it would unmake her too. Will hugged herself tighter, curling almost into a ball.

"No, no, no," chanted Will, closing her eyes tightly against the nothingness. "Please light, don't go out."

There was a murmuring in the nothingness around Will. It was not words that followed or even thoughts, it simply was, and Will understood.

"Extinguish," was what Will heard, though no one spoke it. "Cease this existence. It is your purpose to end. I am your end."

Will's eyes snapped open, flashing defiantly as she glared out into the Void.

"No." said Will, her voice quiet, yet strong. "No!" she repeated louder. "I will not let you win. I will not let it end like this. I'm going to protect everyone! All my friends, all my family! I won't let you erase them! I won't let anyone be forgotten! My purpose is to continue to exist!"

She knew what she had to do, knew what she had the power to do. She had the power of the entire universe—the Heart of the Universe and in it the power of the five elements that shaped all things. She needed to concentrate, she could do it!

Water began to boil into existence around her as Air danced with it. Earth spread out under Will's feet as Fire moved across the sky. And in her hands, Energy crackled with life.

Like a great conductor Will directed them it into a single point between her hands, smaller than a grain of sand. Light erupted between her fingers, light brighter than any light she had ever seen. The elements began to manifest themselves around the light. A tiny jet of fire encircled the light on one side, while a stream of water did the same on the other. Earth and Air manifested themselves too, turning the pinprick of light into a tiny world.

But the light did not grow stronger.

"Give up," the Void echoed. "All things must end."

"Yes," said Will, the light fading slightly. "But they only end so that new things can begin!" Incredible energy erupted from Will's hands, spreading up her arms before finally covering her back. Great white wings made of light burst from her shoulders before wrapping protectively around her.

The light in her hands burned brighter and brighter.

"Stop this!" demanded the Void. "This is not your destiny!"

"No," said Will coldly. "I make my own destiny." And with all the power left in her Will made the light grow. It leapt outwards spreading in all directions, flowing through her fingers and filling the darkness with light. Pushing the Void away.

If the Void could have screamed, it would have. Will watched as the endless night of the nothing began to fill with stars. She could feel the worlds she had saved pouring out of her. She could feel life returning. She could feel the whole universe connected to her.

It was not simply flowing back. She was shaping the energy as it raced out of her. Expertly her fingers moved, crafting each planet an star as it left her.

Space swirled around Will as she watched with joy filled eyes while the universe reformed. She watched as planets changed from golden star dust into magnificent worlds. She smiled as stars were born into the sky. She cried with joy as galaxies swirled into existence.

Will could feel the task nearing completion. And at the edge of her awareness she could feel four people who would not come back. Who were gone. And ever so slightly, she nudged reality and changed their fate.

There was so much she could change, so many things she could make better… but so much she might also make worse. After a moment's hesitation, Will decided she would put things back as they should be and change only what needed to be.

Then she floated there, in the center of everything, just watching the expansive universe she had created dance around her. She was done, it was back, at least as much of it as she could save.

The Heart of the Universe seemed to think so too, for Will felt it lift from her neck. She watched it sparkle one last time before it slipped away, returning into Death where it would bring new life to a new universe.

* * *

Will blinked. In that moment she found that walls had been built around her, she could no longer see the sky, or feel the universe as clearly. Will felt a painful tug at her very being and everything was jerked awkwardly out of place.

With unsteady feet Will landed on solid ground, her bare skin touching the cool marble. She was in a room, a room in Kandrakar. Although her memory was a little fuzzy, she was sure she had been here before. In the universe that had once been.

Her eyes swept across the great walls of the room until at last they came to rest on a person standing before her. The person had not been there a moment ago.

The Woman, who stood before Will, was tall and beautiful, with long blue hair and white robes. There was some kind of half crescent mark on the side of her head. Her brown eyes watched Will with sadness.

"Why are you crying?" Will asked. Will was sure she had seen this person before, that she knew her somehow, but that it had been a life time ago. In another universe.

"I'm just so happy for you Will," said the Woman, a smile trembling on her face. "And so sad for you."

"I don't understand," said Will, searching for a name to go with the face.

"You did it," said the Woman. "You saved everyone, you saved everything." The woman waved a hand and the air shimmered. Will's eyes found that the shimmer of air contained a window into the universe. It moved from world to world, showing her everything that existed.

Will recognized many of the worlds. She'd had them all inside her, kept them safe, and brought them back from the darkness. The image changed to a field of green grass, shadowed by a great oak tree. Four people sat under the tree talking and smiling.

Will smiled as she watched them. She knew them, they were… she couldn't remember their names… but she knew they were friends.

The woman was not watching the viewing window, her eyes were only for Will.

"I can't go back to them," said Will. As she said it a fifth person suddenly appeared. The group welcomed this new girl with open arms and laughs. It was her, it was another Will! "Dreamers can never truly be part of their dreams."

* * *

"I'm so sorry Will," said Susan. "You have done so much for us. More than anyone could ever have asked. You protected us from the end of the universe." Susan looked at the girl who did not recognize her. The girl who was not made of flesh but glowing white energy, except for her face and her red hair and her brown eyes.

Countless great white wings extended from Will's back. She did not even seem to notice how she looked, her eyes were upon the girl that had taken her place. When Will spoke, her words were like the most beautiful music.

"She is part of me," said Will. "The part I saved. The dream that lingers behind when you wake. She is mortal. She will live, grow-up, love and one day… die." Will's eyes did not return to Susan. "And then be reborn to walk again as someone else."

At last Will's eyes broke free of the viewing window and she looked at Susan with calm understanding.

"The universe is no place for a god," said Will, her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at Susan. "I cannot stay for much longer. Such power was never meant to exist in one person. But I can't give it back, even if I wanted to."

"Where will you go?" asked Susan.

"That isn't something I can answer," said Will, her expression calm but thoughtful. "What lies ahead of me no one has ever dreamt of. But do not be sad mom." And for the first time Will recognized Susan and she smiled. "A part of me will always be here." She motioned to the red headed girl who was on earth talking and laughing with her friends.

"I can feel her," said Will watching her double. Susan moved forward and hugged Will.

"It is time for me to go," whispered Will. "I'll always love you." When Susan pulled away, Will was gone and it took all of Susan's strength to keep from collapsing to her knees and crying.

* * *

FIN

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**THANK YOU reviewers!** DayDreamer9, Joe Habana, Lexvan, Darev **and **XV-Dragon**! Thank you for sticking with me on this long three year journey through this fanfiction. Thank you for your kind words, advice and insight. THANK YOU for reviewing and sharing your thoughts on my story, it means a great deal to me.**

**Thank you readers for reading along to the end! And for those that have been around since the beginning, thank you for coming all this way!**

**I hope I have created something enjoyable and entertaining. It has been a very fulfilling experience (for the most part)**

**It's been a fun three year ride! From "Unmaking the World" to "Paths Divided" to "Beyond the Infinity" I have spent countless hours working on and perfecting this story for you, the readers. I hope you have enjoyed this tale, full of twists and sharp turns. Surprises, sadness, hope and fun.**

**And for those who were thinking, "wow, Starwin sure is dead sexy." Thank you.**

**You might ask, where does it go from here? Well, there is one last tiny part, the epilogue which I will post tomorrow.**

**But as for more stories we will just have to wait and see. However, as I have stated before, this particular story is over and I am most likely done with the WITCH universe as far as writing FF is concerned.**

**Starwin out.**


	18. Epilogue

"Beyond the Infinity"

By: Starwin

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

Irma blinked. For a moment, she had been someplace else… someone else. But the moment had passed and she was just herself again. Yet it was not completely gone, the memories still lingered in the back of her thoughts. Another life before this one, in another universe.

She remembered all her life here very clearly. Well most of it, some of the school stuff she couldn't recall very well, but really, who did? Even still, there was a separate life in her thoughts that had been and at the same time was not.

It was a life in which she had fought a terrible enemy and journeyed deep into death to rescue a friend. Now it felt like nothing more than a fading dream, half forgotten.

Irma blinked again and it was the first time she was aware of where she was. She was sitting on soft green grass, under the shade of a tall oak tree. Memories of how she had arrived there trickled slowly back to her.

She had walked there after a very miserable class. She had sat down with her friends to talk about what they would do after school. But all the same, Irma was sure that none of that was really true. She was sure she had just popped into existence, right then and there.

"… and so Irma says, I didn't study for geometry last night," came a voice from beside Irma. The girl sitting next to had been talking for some time… or maybe, like Irma, she had just popped into existence exactly as she was… in mid sentence… Irma wasn't really sure. "And that's when Taranee said, but this is a geography test!"

There was laughter from all around Irma, and she realized that other people were sitting with her. Across from her, clad in a fashionable blue dress with her golden blond hair neatly combed was Cornelia, a warm smile spread across her face.

Next to Cornelia was Taranee, glasses hiding her golden eyes while she giggled. And beside Irma was Hay Lin, smiling laughing at her own retelling of events from class. Events, which Irma was sure had never really happened.

Irma smiled. She was not angry or frustrated by the joke. She could recall having said those words, although she had used them intentionally, trying to be funny. But at the same time, she herself hadn't said them.

"What's so funny," asked another voice. A girl with red hair was taking the last few steps to the group. She sat down in the circle while Hay Lin tried to explain between gasps for air. Will nodded with her own slight smile.

"Well," said Will with a shrug, "math is hard." A second round of laughter broke out among the girls. When it at last subsided Taranee brought up the next topic of conversation.

"So what are we going to do today?" Taranee asked.

"We have someone's birthday to prepare for," said Cornelia with a smile, glancing over at Will.

"Oh no," said Will shaking her hands defensively. "I don't want something big. Just a few friends this time and…" Will was interrupted as yet another person walked up to their group.

This girl was older by a few years. Her long blue hair was a dark contrast to Will's short red hair. But their eyes were the same color brown. The older girl ruffled Will's head as she sat next to her.

"Hey sis," said the older girl. "What'ca all up to?"

"Nothing Serenity," said Will much too quickly. Serenity put on an expression of 'I don't believe you.'

"We were discussing plans for Will's birthday party," said Cornelia casually. Will tried to shush her but it was too late. Serenity smiled mischievously.

"We are not!" cried Will indignantly before Serenity could say anything. "I don't want anything big! Besides, I thought you had plans of your own, with Hayden!" Serenity turned red slightly but recovered quickly.

"Well, I was thinking I might invite him and some of his friends along," said Serenity nonchalantly. "What about Matt? Are you going to invite him?" It was Will's turn to be flushed with embarrassment.

"Maybe," Will mumbled.

"I don't think mom will approve if we invited boys to your party," said Serenity. "But I mean she can't be everywhere and see everything…"

At the same moment both Will and Serenity's phones began to ring, making all the girls jump at the sudden sound. They always kept their phones on silent while at school and there was only one person who could make them ring.

Hesitantly, Will and Serenity glanced at one another before retrieving their phones. They both looked at the caller IDs at the same time.

"She couldn't possibly have heard us…" said Will as she made to open her phone. However it was not a call, but a text message. "Its from my mom, uh, the Oracle… it looks like we need to get to Kandrakar right away!"

Serenity stood, pulling her backpack up over her shoulder. "We'll meet you there," said Serenity and she hurried off.

"I can't believe your sister is dating Hayden!" said Taranee in a low whisper so that Serenity couldn't hear. "That's so strange! It would be like if Cornelia were dating Peter or something." Taranee did not notice that Cornelia turned slightly red at these words. Will just shrugged.

Together the five girls headed off, searching for a place they could open a fold to Kandrakar without being noticed.

Irma lagged behind slightly, pretending to struggle with her book bag. Much to her surprise, Cornelia did too. They called that they would catch up in a minute.

For a second, Irma thought that Cornelia might discuss party plans with her. But the words that came out of Cornelia's mouth were anything but what Irma had expected.

"Do you remember the other universe?" asked Cornelia. Irma was shocked speechless for a moment. She had almost forgotten in their casual conversation about normal lives. Irma nodded slowly. "I don't think it was a dream," added Cornelia. "I remember it, mostly. But I don't think anyone else does."

"Will saved us," said Irma after a moment. "You thought she would destroy us, but she saved us."

"I'm not sure what she did," said Cornelia with a shrug. "But whatever it was, she made the right choice." Hay Lin was calling for them to hurry up, Cornelia and Irma began walking, side by side.

"I don't think the others remember at all," said Cornelia uncomfortably.

"I think that's the way Will wanted it," replied Irma. Cornelia raised an uncertain eyebrow. "Not for any of us to remember the lives that were. But for some reason, we still do…" The two girls fell into silence for a moment.

"So what now?" asked Cornelia. "Do we just pretend like nothing happened?"

"No," said Irma with a shake of her head. "We never forget what was. We never forget the people that were. We never forget the sacrifices that were made. And we make the most of the second chance we've been given." Cornelia nodded.

"And are you going to tell Will how you feel?" asked Cornelia. Irma shot her a surprised look, but did not ask how she knew.

"Maybe," said Irma.

They rejoined their friends behind an alcove in the side of the school that was conveniently hidden from view in most directions. Will had not opened the portal yet, Irma was just about to ask why when Elyon and Serenity arrived slightly out of breath.

"Alright, we're all here," said Will. Will lifted the Heart of Kandrakar and opened a rift in space that would take them to the white fortress. On the other side the Oracle would be waiting to send them off on a mission to some distant world. WITCHES stepped through the fold that would lead them on to the next adventure.

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**THANK YOU reviews! (for the fast reviews):** XxRxX, Lexvan, Joe Habana, XV-Dragon, DayDreamer9, fuzzyelbow **and** dad-d-dough. **I'm glad the ending was so well received, thank you all for your word and inspirations!**

**THANK YOU readers! I hope you enjoyed the story! Feel free to become a reviewer and let me know ;D**

**This is the end, if you have an remaining questions, comments or other concerns feel free to PM me and I will answer what I can (some things are meant to be left open for you to decide what happens)**

**Starwin out.**


End file.
